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Category: XFINITY Series

NASCAR XFINITY Series news and information

  • NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    NASCAR 2024 Silly Season updates

    As 2023 comes to an end, the silly season begins. Check below for all of the driver and team news in anticipation of the NASCAR 2024 season. This list will be updated periodically.

    Lawless Alan, No. 33 Reaume Brothers Racing 33 Ford (NCTS)
    Reaume Racing announced on Jan. 14 that Lawless Alan has been signed to run full-time in the 2024 Craftsman Truck Series.

    Anthony Alfredo, No. 5 Our Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS) and Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup)
    Our Motorsports announced on Dec. 7 that beginning in 2024, Alfredo will race full-time in the No. 5 Chevrolet Xfinity Series car. It was later revealed that Josh Graham, former crew chief for Parker Retzlaff, will join the team as crew chief for Alfredo.
    Beard Motorsports announced on December 20 that Anthony Alfredo will pilot the No. 62 Chevrolet in the 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega.

    Justin Allgaier, No 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Allgaier will return to JR Motorsports for the 2024 Xfinity Series season after signing an extension. Jim Pohlman will be back as his crew chief.

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCS)
    Allmendinger will return to drive the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with crew chief Alex Yontz and will compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and will also assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program.

    Allmendinger will also compete in select Cup Series races next season. Travis Mack will serve as his crew chief for the Cup Series races and assume the role of Technical Director for their Cup Series program. On Dec. 20 it was confirmed that Allmendinger would drive the Kaulig Racing No 16 Chevrolet in the Cup Series Daytona 500.

    Aric Almirola, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Almirola will run a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2024 sharing driving duties in the No. 20 JGR Toyota with John Hunter Nemechek for an unspecified number of races.

    Jordan Anderson, No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 12, it was announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that team owner, Jordan Anderson, will drive the No. 32 Chevrolet as a third entry for the organization in the 2024 Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Anderson’s father-in-law, Larry McReynolds, will join him as crew chief for the team.

    Marco Andretti, No. 04 Cook Racing Technologies in alliance with Roper Racing Team (NCTS) and No. 17 Cook Racing Technologies Chevrolet (ARCA)
    Marco Andretti has signed with Cook Racing Technologies to drive the No. 17 Chevrolet in 14 ARCA Menards Series races beginning at Daytona in February. Andretti will also compete in seven Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 04 Chevrolet in an alliance with Roper Racing. His first Truck start will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23.

    Tyler Ankrum, No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Tyler Ankrum is moving to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. He will drive the No. 18, renumbered from the No. 35 driven by Jake Garcia in 2023.

    Beard Motorsports, No.62 Chevrolet (NCS)
    On Dec. 20, Beard Motorsports announced that it will compete in the following four races in 2024 – the Daytona 500 in February, the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega, the Aug. 24 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and the Oct. 6 YellaWood 500 at Talladega. Anthony Alfredo will drive the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet in the Cup Series 2024 Daytona 500 and the GEICO 500 on April 21 at Talladega. Their schedule for the remainder of the 2024 season and the driver lineups will be announced at a later date.

    Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced in June that Josh Berry would replace retired driver, Kevin Harvick, in the No. 4 Ford in 2024. On Dec. 19, Eddie D’Hondt was named as the spotter for Josh Berry in his first season with SHR.

    Josh Bilicki, No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 4, DGM Racing announced that Josh Bilicki will drive the team’s No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro in select Xfinity Series races in 2024. Bilicki’s first race will occur at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 17th.

    BJ McLeod Motorsports, No. 78 Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 30, BJ McLeod Motorsports announced that Pat Tryson will return to crew chief the No. 78 Chevrolet for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. The team has not revealed whether they will compete full-time or run a partial schedule.

    Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Blaney will have a new spotter in 2024 as Tim Fedewa joins the team. Fedewa is a former racer and was Kevin Harvick’s spotter for 10 years.

    Spencer Boyd, No 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Jan. 8 that Spencer Boyd and Chris Miller have formed a new Craftsman Truck Series team, Freedom Racing Enterprises. The team will compete full-time with Boyd in the No 76 Chevrolet & Greg Ely as crew chief. Jeff Hammond will serve as General Manager.

    Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford (NCS)
    Burton has confirmed that he will return in 2024 to drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with crew chief, Jeremy Bullins. Jason Jarrett (former spotter for Justin Haley) will spot for Burton in 2024.

    Jeb Burton, No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Jeb Burton will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024. Shane Whitbeck will be back as Burton’s crew chief.

    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kyle Busch, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    In addition to competing full-time in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the Cup Series this season, it was announced on Feb. 7 that Busch will also drive an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races in 2024 for Spire Motorsports.

    Rajah Caruth, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    It was announced on Feb. 4 that Caruth will drive the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series in 2024. HendrickCars.com will be the primary sponsor for 10 races. He will be paired with crew chief Chad Walter. Caruth was formerly with GMS Racing who ceased operations at the end of the 2023 season.

    Ross Chastain/Busch Light, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Chastain has signed a multiyear contract extension with Trackhouse Racing to drive the No. 1 with Anheuser Busch as his primary sponsor in 2024. He will also compete in select Truck Series races throughout the season for Niece Motorsports.

    Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (NCS)
    Cindric announced in October that he will return to the No. 2 Ford next season.

    Dawson Cram, No. 4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Cram will race full-time in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

    Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Creed joins Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a two-year tenure with Richard Childress Racing in 2022 and 2023.

    Cole Custer, No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS)
    Stewart-Haas Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Custer is returning to the Xfinity Series in 2024. The Ford team will keep the same lineup of Custer and Riley Herbst.

    Hailie Deegan, No. 15 AM Racing Ford (NXS)
    Deegan will move to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing in 2024 with a multiyear deal. It was announced on Dec. 19 that Joe Williams Jr. will serve as Deegan’s crew chief in her rookie season.

    Matt DiBenedetto, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    DiBenedetto announced on Aug. 30 that he would not be returning to Rackley W.A.R. in 2024, adding that he has no plans for next season but is “exploring all options in all series.”

    Ty Dillon, No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 29, it was announced that Ty Dillon is returning to the NASCAR Truck Series and will compete full-time in 2024 driving the Rackley W.A.R. No. 25 Chevrolet. Shane Wilson was named as Dillon’s crew chief on January 9.

    Daniel Dye, No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet (NCTS) and No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Dye, formerly with GMS Racing, will join McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2024 as the full-time driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. On Jan. 16, it was announced that Dye will also compete in 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series races for Kaulig Racing in the No. 10 Chevrolet.

    Kaulig Racing will enter the NXS No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet in the following races:
    Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway
    April 6 at Martinsville Speedway
    April 27 at Dover Motor Speedway
    June 15 at Iowa Speedway
    July 13 at Pocono Raceway
    July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    Aug. 17 at Michigan International Speedway
    Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway
    Oct. 19 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    Nov. 9 at Phoenix Raceway

    Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on January 16 that Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 26 Toyota in 2024 for multiple races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His first race will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24

    Christian Eckes, No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Eckes will return to drive full-time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2024. Crew Chief Charles Denike will also return.

    Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, NCS
    It was confirmed on Jan. 2, that Trey Poole will join Elliott’s team as his spotter in 2024. Poole is Elliott’s cousin and has previously worked as an additional spotter for the team as needed. His former spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, will move to Stewart-Haas Racing as the spotter for Josh Berry.

    Ryan Ellis, No. 43 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Alpha Prime Racing announced in August that Ellis will compete in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series in 2024. On Jan. 27 the team revealed that Mike Hillman will lead the No. 43 team as crew chief.

    Patrick Emerling, No. 07 SS-Greenlight Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 1, the team announced that Patrick Emerling will be the primary driver of the No. 07 Xfinity Chevrolet in 2024 when there isn’t a conflict as he attempts to also win a championship in the Whelen Modified Tour. Emerling’s first Xfinity Series race will be the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 17. His complete Xfinity Series schedule will be announced at a later date.

    Grant Enfinger, No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    CR7 announced on Dec. 12 that it signed Grant Enfinger to a multiyear deal to race full-time for the team, beginning in 2024.

    Jake Garcia, ThorSport Racing (NCTS)
    ThorSport announced on Nov. 15 that Garcia would join the lineup beginning in 2024.

    Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that Gilliland will return to drive the No. 38 Ford full-time in 2024.

    GMS Racing (NCTS)
    On Aug. 25, 2023, GMS officials announced that it would cease operations after the 2023 race season

    Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Aug. 13 Stewart-Haas Racing announced that they had signed a multiyear deal for Gragson to drive the No. 10 Ford. The news came following Gragson’s reinstatement by NASCAR after a suspension for violating member conduct rules.

    Kaz Grala, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    On Jan. 17 Rick Ware Racing announced that Kaz Grala has been signed to compete in 25 Cup Series races in the No. 15 Ford Mustang with crew chief Billy Plourde. His first start with the team will be in the Busch Light Clash exhibition race and his first regular season points race will be on Feb. 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The remainder of his schedule will be announced at a later date.

    It was announced on Jan. 23 that Grala will also attempt to qualify the Front Row Motorsports No. 36 Ford Mustang for the Daytona 500. He will participate in the qualifying session on Wednesday, Feb. 14 and he can also lock into the race during the Duel events on Thursday.

    Tanner Gray, No. 15 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 9 that Gray will return to the organization full-time for the 2024 Truck Series season. He will also substitute for William Sawalich in six races in the ARCA Menards Series (until Sawalich turns 18) driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

    Gray will also compete in six ARCA Menards Series races: Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17), Talladega Superspeedway (April 20), Kansas Speedway (May 4 and Sept. 27), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 24) and Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 16).

    Taylor Gray, No. 17 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS)
    Tricon Garage announced on Nov. 10 that Gray will race his first full Truck Series season as pilot of the No. 17 next season.

    Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    Haley will compete full-time for Rick Ware Racing in 2024 after signing a multiyear deal. He will be paired with crew chief Chris Lawson.

    Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing announced in September that he will return to drive the No. 11 Toyota in 2024 and beyond.

    Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Harvick will move to the FOX Sports broadcast booth starting with the 2024 season after retiring from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2023 season.

    Corey Heim, No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS), Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing reserve driver
    In October 2023, TRICON Garage announced that Heim would return to compete full-time in the Truck Series in 2024.

    On January 10, 2024, Sam Hunt Racing revealed that Heim will drive the No. 26 Toyota for the team in the Xfinity Series for multiple races. His first start will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2.

    Heim posted on social media on Jan. 25 that he has also been signed by Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing, saying, “I’m grateful to announce that I’ve been signed by @LEGACYMotorClub as their simulator & reserve driver for this season and will also be the reserve driver for @23XIRacing.”

    Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hemric will return to the Cup Series in 2024 driving the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.

    Riley Herbst, No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NXS) and No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford (NCS)
    It was announced on Feb. 2 that Herbst will pilot the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford in the Daytona 500, the first of select Cup Series races for the team. Herbst currently competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Hill will remain with Richard Childress Racing and compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    Timmy Hill, No. 56 Hill Motorsports Toyota (NCTS)
    Hill Motorsports announced on Dec. 8 that Timmy Hill would race a full-time Truck Series schedule in 2024

    Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    Hocevar moves to the Cup Series as the driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports and will be joined by veteran crew chief, Luke Lambert.

    Bret Holmes, No 32 Bret Holmes Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Bret Holmes Racing announced on Jan. 19 that Brett Holmes will compete full-time this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the No. 32 Chevrolet. They have signed a technical alliance with Spire Motorsports for 2024 and Mike Shiplett will join the team as crew chief.

    Leland Honeyman Jr., No. 42 Chevrolet Young’s Motorsports (NXS)
    Young’s Motorsports announced on Jan. 3, 2024, that Leland Honeyman Jr. will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Andrew Abbott as his crew chief.

    Joe Gibbs Racing names Xfinity Series lineup (NXS)
    JGR announced its full-time and part-time roster on Dec. 13. Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith will race full-time, while six drivers will compete part-time between two race cars. Aric Almirola, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Truex, Taylor Gray, William Sawalich and Joe Graf Jr. will make up the part-time portion of the lineup.

    Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club No. 84 Toyota (NCS)
    Johnson will run a limited number of NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024. As of Jan. 16, nine races have been announced:
    Feb. 18 – Daytona (Sponsor – Carvana)
    April 14 – Texas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    April 28 – Dover (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    May 5 – Kansas (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    May 26 – Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Sponsor – AdventHealth)
    July 21 – Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Sponsor – Carvana)
    Sept. 29 – Kansas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Oct. 20 – Las Vegas (Sponsors – Dollar Tree and Family Dollar)
    Nov. 10 – Phoenix Season Finale (Sponsor – Carvana)

    Brandon Jones, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jones re-signed with JR Motorsports in September and will continue to compete in the Xfinity Series in 2024.

    JR Motorsports – Chevrolet (NXS)
    JR Motorsports announced its crew chief lineup for the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series on Dec. 18:
    Phillip Bell – Brandon Jones in the No. 9
    Mardy Lindley – Sam Mayer in the No. 1
    Jim Pohlman – Justin Allgaier in the No. 7
    Adam Wall – Sammy Smith in the No. 8

    Sage Karam, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota (NXS)
    Sam Hunt Racing announced on Jan. 23 that Karam will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races for the team this season beginning with the race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 17.

    Kaulig Racing – Chevrolet (NXS)
    Kevin Walter will join the No. 11 Chevrolet team as a first-time crew chief and be paired with Josh Williams in 2024.
    Alex Yontz will return to the team for a fifth season and will serve as the crew chief for AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro.
    Bruce Schlicker will also return for a fifth season at Kaulig as crew chief for the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro with Shane van Gisbergen.

    Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    In August, it was confirmed that Kligerman will remain with Big Machine Racing in 2024 to compete in his second full-time season in the Xfinity Series.

    Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCS)
    LaJoie announced in August that he had re-signed with Spire Motorsports in a multiyear extension Ryan Sparks will continue as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie and the No. 7 team.

    Legacy Motor Club (NCS)
    The team announced in May that they would leave Chevrolet and partner with Toyota in 2024. Team co-owner Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 84 in select Cup Series races with Jason Burdett as his crew chief. In October the team also announced that Matt Kenseth would join the organization as a competition adviser.

    Legacy Motor Club released the news that Trevor Bayne would join the team on Jan. 25. “We are adding on two important members to the Club! Welcome Trevor Bayne as our Driver Optimization Leader and Corey Heim (previously announced) as our simulator & reserve driver.”

    Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Love will move up to the Xfinity Series in 2024, taking over as driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet on a full-time basis.

    Mason Massey, No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    On February 12, Young’s Motorsport confirmed that Mason Massey will drive the No. 02 Chevrolet full-time this season in the Craftsman Truck Series.

    Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced in August that McDowell will return to drive the No. 34 Ford full-time in 2024.

    BJ McLeod, No. 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Feb. 9, it was announced that BJ McLeod will return to his Xfinity Series team as the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet to compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. It is unknown at this time if the team will run a full or part-time schedule.

    CJ McLaughlin, No. 38 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    McLaughlin will compete part-time in the 2024 Xfinity Series in the No. 38 Ford for RSS Racing as announced on Jan. 10. His first race will be on Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The remainder of his schedule has not been released.

    Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Faction46 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Dec. 8, it was announced that Thad Moffitt would race full-time in the Truck Series with the newly announced team, Faction46.

    Frankie Muniz, No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Ford (NXS)
    Muniz will run a limited number of Xfinity Series races this year for Joey Gase Racing. He will begin the season by attempting to qualify for the United Rentals 300 scheduled for Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. On Feb. 9 the team also confirmed that the 25th-place owner points have been transferred to the No. 35 team.

    John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (NCS) (NXS)
    Nemechek will return to the Cup Series full-time in 2024 as the driver of the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota. In addition to driving full-time in the Cup Series for Legacy Motor Club, Nemechek will make 10 Xfinity Series starts in the JGR No. 20, sharing driving duties with Aric Almirola.

    Niece Motorsports, No. 41, No. 42 and No. 45 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    The team revealed its 2024 Craftsman Truck Series driver lineup in February for the upcoming season.
    Mike Hillman Jr. will return as crew chief for Bayley Currey and the No. 41 team as Bayley competes in his first full-time season.

    Jon Leonard will join Niece Motorsports as the crew chief for Matt Mills in the No. 42 Chevrolet as Mills also enters his first full-time season in the Truck Series.

    Ross Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Johnny Sauter will share driving duties in the No. 45 throughout the season with crew chief Phil Gould on the pit box. Sauter will be behind the wheel as the season begins at Daytona International Speedway.

    Stefan Parsons, No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 13, Parsons announced on social media that he will drive the Henderson Motorsports No. 75 Chevrolet in the Craftsman Truck Series this season. His complete schedule has not been released but he will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Raceway.

    Brad Perez, No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Jan. 8 Alpha Prime Racing announced Brad Perez will drive select Xfinity Series races this season in the No. 45 Chevrolet (which will compete in a partial schedule). His first race will be at Circuit of the Americas on March 23 with the remainder of his schedule to be determined. He will also take on the role of Development Driver and assist with simulator setup and will be the team’s reserve driver.

    Blaine Perkins, No. 29 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing has signed Blaine Perkins to race full-time in the Xfinity Series for the 2024 season.

    Brennan Poole, No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Poole and Alpha Prime announced on Nov. 9 that Poole will run a full-time season in the No. 44 for the 2024 Xfinity Series season. On Jan. 27 it was announced that Poole will be paired with crew chief, Frank Kerr.

    Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (NCS)
    Preece announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Sept. 26 that he will return to race the SHR No. 41 in 2024.

    Chase Purdy, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Spire Motorsports announced on Jan. 3 that Chase Purdy has been signed to drive the No. 77 Chevrolet full-time in the Truck Series. NASCAR veteran, Jason Trinchere, most recently a crew chief for Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series program, will be paired with Purdy to lead the team.

    Parker Retzlaff, No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    Jordan Anderson Racing announced on Nov. 2 that Parker Retzlaff will return to compete full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024 with Chad Kendrick (formerly with Matt DiBenedetto) as his crew chief.

    Layne Riggs, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (NCTS)
    Front Row Motorsports announced on Dec. 14 that Riggs has been signed to a multi-year deal to drive the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series after limited starts in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Xfinity Series in 2022 and 2023. Dylan Cappello will move up from his position as lead engineer to work as Rigg’s crew chief. Chris Lawson will leave his position as crew chief but will serve as a consultant to the team at the beginning of the season as well as working on projects outside of NASCAR.

    RSS Racing (NXS) – Crew chief and spotter lineup:
    28 Ford: Kyle Sieg – CC: Mike Scearce, Spotter: Freddie Kraft
    29 Ford: Blaine Perkins – CC: Steve Addington, Spotter: Tony Raines
    38 Ford: CJ McLaughlin – CC: Kevin Johnson, Spotter: Doug Campbell
    39 Ford: Ryan Sieg – CC: Matt Noyce, Spotter: Tim Fedawa

    Nick Sanchez, Rev Racing No. 2 Chevrolet (NCTS)
    On Jan. 16 Rev Racing announced that Sanchez will drive the No. 2 Chevrolet in 2024 and compete full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series with Spire Motorsports as a new technical alliance partner. Sanchez will be paired with Kevin “Bono” as crew chief. Allen Hart, former crew chief for Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series, will join the team as the chief engineer.

    William Sawalich, No. 1 Tricon Garage Toyota (NCTS), No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS) and No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (ARCA)
    Sawalich will return to Tricon Garage in 2024 and compete in a partial schedule of nine Craftsman Truck Series races in the No. 1 Toyota:
    Bristol – March 16, Martinsville – April 5, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park – July 19, Richmond – Aug. 10, Milwaukee – Aug. 25, Bristol – Sept. 19, Homestead – Oct. 26, Martinsville – Nov. 1, Phoenix on Nov. 8.

    In addition, he will also make three Xfinity Series starts for Joe Gibbs Racing. His schedule includes Homestead, Martinsville and Phoenix (after he turns 18 on Oct. 3), in the No. 19 JGR Toyota.

    Sawalich, the 2023 ARCA East champion, will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024 as the primary driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, in all but six races. Tricon Garage Truck Series driver, Tanner Gray, will substitute for Sawalich until he turns 18.

    Kyle Sieg, No. 28 RSS Racing Ford (NXS)
    RSS Racing announced on Dec. 1 that, beginning in 2024, Sieg would race full-time with the team.

    Chandler Smith, No. 81 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NXS)
    On Dec. 12, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Chandler Smith would drive the No. 81 Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024. Smith will join JGR after one full-time season in the series with Kaulig Racing in 2023.

    Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (NXS)
    Smith will join JR Motorsports in 2024 with a multi-year deal to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet, previously driven by Josh Berry who will move up to the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing.

    Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet (Cup), No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    Zane Smith has signed a multiyear contract with Trackhouse Racing and will move up to the Cup Series full-time in 2024, driving a Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in alliance with Trackhouse Racing. He will be paired with first-year crew chief, Stephen Doran. Josh Williams, former spotter for Ryan Blaney, will make the move to Spire Motorsports in 2024 and spot for Smith.

    On Feb. 9 the team announced that Smith will also drive the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing No. 91 Chevrolet in four Truck Series races. His schedule includes:
    March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
    March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway
    April 5 at Texas Motor Speedway
    May 4 at Kansas Speedway

    Garrett Smithley, JD Motorsports No. 6 Chevrolet (NXS)
    JD Motorsports announced on Feb. 13 that Smithley will return to the team this year and pilot the No. 6 Chevrolet in four Xfinity Series races, including the season-opener at Daytona, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix.

    Spire Motorsports Spotter Lineup
    TJ Bell will return as the spotter for Corey LaJoie. As mentioned above, Josh Williams (previously the spotter for Ryan Blaney) will spot for Zane Smith. Tyler Green (previously the spotter for Harrison Burton) will spot for Carson Hocevar.

    Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Matt Swiderski will replace Travis Mack as the crew chief for Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.

    Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (NCS)
    Truex will return to race the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in 2024 for at least one more year.

    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 (NCS)
    In December it was announced that Shane van Gisbergen will race full-time in the Xfinity Series next year for Kaulig Racing with crew chief Bruce Schlicker. He will also compete in a minimum of seven Cup Series races and an unspecified number of Craftsman Truck Series races for Trackhouse Racing in 2024.

    In January 2024 it was announced that he will be doing double duty at Daytona International Speedway as he takes to the track for the season-opening race in the ARCA Menards Series in the Pinnacle Racing Groupentry before making his Xfinity Series debut.

    Cup Series races announced as of Dec. 13:
    Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin on March 24
    Talladega Superspeedway on April 21 and Oct. 6
    Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26
    Chicago Street Race on July 7
    Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sept. 15
    Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 20

    Kyle Weatherman, No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet (NXS)
    On Nov. 14, 2023, DGM Racing announced that Kyle Weatherman will compete full-time in 2024 in the Xfinity Series after racing a part-time schedule for the team in 2023.

    Josh Williams, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NXS) and No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (NCS)
    Kaulig Racing announced on Nov. 16 that Josh Williams will pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet in 2024. He will be joined by crew chief Kevin Walter, formerly an engineer for the JR Motorsports No. 8 team.

    On Jan. 29 Kaulig Racing announced that Williams will also run the No. 16 Alloy Employer Services Camaro ZL1 in select Cup Series races during the 2024 season, beginning with the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 4.

    Jack Wood, No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet (NCTS)
    McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced on Dec. 6 that beginning in 2024, Jack Wood will race a 14-race schedule in the No. 91 Chevrolet.

    Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet (NXS) (NCTS)
    On Jan. 11 Trackhouse Racing announced that they have signed a multi-year agreement with Connor Zilisch. He will enter a developmental program in 2024 and 2025 that will include races in the CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans Am and IMSA series. Zilisch will also compete in select NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series events.

  • Tales from the beat: Breaking news

    Tales from the beat: Breaking news

    Don’t you just love when something innocuous you said or did spirals out of your control? Sometimes, a person misconstrues what you said and it devolves into a shouting match that you desperately want to escape. Other times, your inexperience lands you in hot water, for reasons you don’t understand.

    One tweet at Atlanta Motor Speedway plopped me in the latter.

    March 4, 2017, I watched the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from my seat in the media center, roughly 90 minutes after the conclusion of the XFINITY Series race. I wore a Racing Electronics headset to listen to the radio broadcast (as I do when I cover a race at the track). If you listen to an MRN broadcast at the track, you’ll hear the commercial break banter.

    During one of the breaks, Mike Bagley says that he received a text message saying that Kyle Busch’s XFINITY car failed post-race inspection. Instinctively, I tweet that breaking news and turn back to the Truck race.

    Two or three minutes later, Bob Pockrass walks over to the NASCAR IMC team to ask if what I tweeted was true. I think to myself, “Wait, did I screw something up?” Another minute or two later, Tom Bryant of NASCAR pulls me aside and asks where I got that information. I told him, he made a note and he probably said something else, but I don’t recall.

    Now in hindsight, there was nothing to fret over. After all, I had a source for it, and anybody who was at the track, that day, with headsets heard it, too. Put me in that situation again, and I probably don’t break a sweat.

    However, I was a 22-year-old guy starting his second season on the beat. I never broke a news story, prior to that. Furthermore, 2016 was a roller coaster of getting myself in trouble a little more than a few times.

    So internally, I panic.

    My hands shake and my eyes dart around the room. I couldn’t focus on the Truck race or take race notes. I asked Bryant, who sat across from me, if what I tweeted was true. He said NASCAR will reveal XFINITY post-race inspection results after the conclusion of the Truck race.

    With the laps winding down, I grab my notepad, put on my headset and walk out to pit road. I figured watching the race on pit road would clear my head, or get my mind off the panic.

    Eventually, the official announcement came. I stood by the entrance to the deadline room, packed up and jittery. No joke, if the announcement was that everyone passed, I was getting the hell outta Dodge, going back to Knoxville, Tennessee, and nobody would hear from me, again.

    “Post-race inspection for the NASCAR XFINITY Series is complete,” Matt Humphrey, IMC, said. “The 18 car failed.”

    I breathed such a sigh of relief, that I almost fell over.

    To this day, I don’t understand what I did wrong.

    I’ve told this story to several NASCAR writers, and they all told me either that I should’ve asked for confirmation on it from IMC or noted that I heard MRN say this. Yet I also told this same story to several of my sports writing professors at the University of Tennessee, and all of them told me I did nothing wrong.

    *lights cigarette*

    Eh, c’est la vie.

  • Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway selects grassroots racing theme for Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR, May 10-12

    Darlington Raceway announced today that the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR will be making its return to the track Too Tough to Tame during the Goodyear 400 weekend, May 10-12. This year’s theme – Celebrate our Roots through Grassroots Racing – will honor the racing origins of drivers, owners, team members, and NASCAR as a whole.

    “We’re honored to continue the tradition of hosting NASCAR’s Official Throwback Weekend in the spring,” said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. “Grassroots racing is the lifeblood of our sport, and providing our industry with a chance to pay tribute to their grassroots origin story acknowledges the importance that it plays in the past, present and future of NASCAR.”

    Every driver has a story about their rise through grassroots/local track racing that led them to one of NASCAR’s national series, and they will each have the opportunity to celebrate their ascent with paint schemes that harken back to the beginning of their racing careers. Drivers will simultaneously be able to utilize Throwback Weekend to amplify their ongoing efforts to support grassroots racing and tell their story.

    NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will also showcase historic local racetracks and drivers in the region for long-time fans to appreciate and new fans to discover.  Throughout the weekend, those in attendance can expect several displays and events that highlight the history and importance of grassroots racing across the country.

    The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR begins with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. Then, the action will continue into Saturday, May 11, with the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at 1:30 p.m. Finally, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will pay homage to their grassroots origins in the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, May 12, at 3:00 p.m.

    NASCAR fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets via phone at 866-459-7223 or online at darlingtonraceway.com while supplies last.

    — Darlington Raceway —

  • NASCAR reveals 2024 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash, Craftsman Trucks Triple Truck Challenge schedules

    NASCAR reveals 2024 Xfinity Dash 4 Cash, Craftsman Trucks Triple Truck Challenge schedules

    As the 2024 NASCAR season nears its approach, the Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash and the Craftsman Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge initiatives are set to return and retain their spots in the first half of the upcoming racing season with one new and a bevy of familiar circuits also returning.

    For the Xfinity Series, the Dash 4 Cash program will launch its 16th consecutive season by hosting its qualifying event at Richmond Raceway on March 30, where the top four highest-finishing Xfinity regulars in the final running order will contend for the first round of bonus money. The first Dash 4 Cash event of the 2024 season will then occur at Martinsville Speedway on April 6 followed by the series’ lone visit of the season to Texas Motor Speedway on April 13, which is new to the initiative’s schedule, and Talladega Superspeedway on April 20 before concluding at Dover Motor Speedway on April 27.

    The highest-finishing Xfinity Dash 4 Cash contender in each event will receive the cash-winning prize of $100,000, with opportunities for the prize to increase should a competitor achieve the bonus more than once.

    This past season, where all Dash 4 Cash events occurred in April, Justin Allgaier claimed the first Dash 4 Cash bonus and the fifth of his career at Richmond Raceway despite finishing in 13th place, but by finishing ahead of his initiative rivals Sam Mayer, Sammy Smith and Daniel Hemric. John Hunter Nemechek claimed the second bonus at Martinsville in an event where he led a race-high 198 of 250 laps en route to his second Xfinity victory of the season. Cole Custer, the 2023 Xfinity Series champion, would conclude the initiative by claiming the final two bonuses at Talladega Superspeedway and at Dover Motor Speedway, where he finished fourth and seventh, respectively.

    Ironically, the trio of Allgaier, Custer and Nemechek would square off against one another along with Sam Mayer for the 2023 Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway in November for the Championship 4 round event. Allgaier and Custer are set to run another full-time Xfinity season and bid for more bonuses in 2024 with JR Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing, respectively, while Nemechek has moved up to the Cup Series to drive for Legacy Motor Club.

    For the Craftsman Truck Series, the Triple Truck Challenge initiative will occur in three events for a sixth consecutive season, beginning at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, which will also serve as the series’ 700th race in history. The initiative will continue at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 1 before concluding at Nashville Superspeedway on June 28, a three-race schedule that resembles last year’s schedule.

    Each event will offer Truck Series regulars three opportunities to notch a $50,000 bonus for themselves per race victory, with opportunities for the bonus to increase to $150,000 if two Triple Truck Challenge events are won by any eligible competitor or even to $500,000 if all three events are won.

    Last season, Ben Rhodes, the 2023 Truck Series champion, claimed the first Triple Truck Challenge bonus after achieving his first victory of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Grant Enfinger, the 2023 championship runner-up finisher, would earn the second bonus with his second victory of the season at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway in early June. Carson Hocevar capped off the program by winning at Nashville Superspeedway in mid-June for his second career victory in the Truck circuit. Rhodes and Enfinger are slated to remain in the Truck Series with ThorSport Racing and CR7 Motorsports, respectively, and contend for additional opportunities while Hocevar is set to campaign in his first full-time season in the Cup Series for Spire Motorsports.

    Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    With the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash and Craftsman Truck Series’ Triple Truck Challenge schedules set, the 2024 Truck Series season is set to commence at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh From Florida 250 on February 16 with the event’s air coverage to occur at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The 2024 Xfinity Series season is scheduled to occur the following day, February 17, for the United Rentals 300 and air at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to Sam Hunt Racing for part-time Xfinity campaign in 2024

    Jeffrey Earnhardt returns to Sam Hunt Racing for part-time Xfinity campaign in 2024

    Jeffrey Earnhardt will be reuniting with Sam Hunt Racing in a multi-race deal for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season that will commence at Atlanta Motor Speedway in late February.

    The news comes as the fourth-generation racer from Mooresville, North Carolina, is coming off a part-time campaign in the Xfinity circuit, where he competed in the Nos. 44 and 45 Chevrolet entries for Alpha Prime Racing. Competing in 24 of the 33-race schedule, Earnhardt recorded a total of six top-20 results and a season-best 11th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in August.

    “I’m really excited to be returning to Sam Hunt Racing and the [Toyota Racing Development] family,” Earnhardt said. “We had strong races in 2022 and I feel like we have some unfinished business. Sam’s program continues to impress, and Toyota makes me feel so welcome. I know this is the right move and can’t wait to get back in the ForeverLawn GR Supra with Sam & team.”

    Earnhardt, the son of former NASCAR competitor, Kerry Earnhardt, and the grandson of the late NASCAR Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt, made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity circuit at Watkins Glen International in August 2009. Since then, he has amassed a total of 168 starts with 13 organizations in the Xfinity circuit. Within the 168 starts, he has recorded a single pole, two top-five results, five top-10 results, 47 laps led and an average finishing result of 24.3. His best on-track result is a runner-up finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2022, the same weekend where he notched his first career pole while piloting his grandfather’s iconic No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and with championship-winning crew chief Larry McReynolds calling the shots.

    In 2022, Earnhardt made nine of his 13 Xfinity starts with Sam Hunt Racing, where he recorded six top-20 results and his highest result being a seventh-place run at Nashville Superspeedway in June.

    For the 2024 season, Earnhardt’s Xfinity starts with Sam Hunt Racing will occur in the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra entry with ForeverLawn returning to sponsor him. The North Carolina native also becomes the second competitor confirmed to make select starts for Sam Hunt Racing alongside Corey Heim, who will make his first of select starts with the team at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early March.

    “Jeffrey is a great guy that everyone enjoys being around and working with,” Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, added. “We’ve had some great conversations over the past couple months and know he is committed to the program, as well as to the TRD family. His experience and full perspective view on the sport is always refreshing, and feel we had great speed together in 2022. I’m excited to build on that momentum and pick up where we left off and look forward to welcoming the ForeverLawn family back to the Sam Hunt Racing camp.”

    Sam Hunt Racing’s full driver lineup along with Earnhardt’s part-time schedule for the 2024 Xfinity Series season remains to be determined.

    Jeffrey Earnhardt’s 2024 part-time campaign in the Xfinity Series with Sam Hunt Racing is set to commence at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the RAPTOR King of Tough 250. The event is scheduled to occur on February 24 and air at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Corey Heim returns for partial Xfinity campaign with Sam Hunt Racing in 2024

    Corey Heim returns for partial Xfinity campaign with Sam Hunt Racing in 2024

    Corey Heim will run a partial NASCAR Xfinity Series stint with Sam Hunt Racing for the second time in his career for the 2024 season.

    The news comes as the 21-year-old Heim from Marietta, Georgia, is coming off his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with TRICON Garage, where he achieved three victories, clinched the 2023 Truck Series regular-season championship, made the Championship 4 round and finished in third place in the 2023 driver’s standings. He also made his first four career starts in the Xfinity circuit with Sam Hunt Racing throughout the 2023 campaign, where he recorded two top-15 results.

    “I can’t wait to join Sam Hunt Racing again in 2024,” Heim said. “I saw improvement throughout every start I made with [Sam Hunt Racing] in 2023 from top to bottom, including in myself as a driver. That’s really what I’m looking for in a partnership — the constant push to be better, and I know SHR will continue to make that their goal in 2024. It really excites me as a driver to be part of a group like this. I’m looking forward to building this year together and contending for wins.”

    Heim, a former Rookie-of-the-Year recipient in both the CARS Super Late Model and Late Model Stock Car Tour regions along with being a nine-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series, made his inaugural presence within NASCAR’s top three national touring series in 2021 when he competed in three Truck Series events for Kyle Busch Motorsports. The following season, he scored his first career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his home track, and would achieve another victory at World Wide Technology Raceway. Despite competing in 16 of the 23-race schedule in 2022, Heim achieved the Truck Series Rookie-of-the-Year title.

    This past season, Heim became a full-time competitor in the Truck Series for the first time in his career as he joined forces with the newly rebranded TRICON Garage while remaining as a Toyota Racing Development competitor. Despite being absent at World Wide Technology Raceway in June due to an illness, Heim generated his strongest season to date with three victories, four poles, 12 top-five results, 19 top-10 results, 611 laps led and an average-finishing result of 6.8 in 22 starts, all en route to making the Playoffs and settling in third place in the final standings. He is set to return for a second full-time Truck Series campaign and championship bid with TRICON Garage this upcoming season.

    During the previous season, Heim’s first Xfinity Series career start with Sam Hunt Racing occurred at Dover Motor Speedway in April. He would then achieve his first top-10 career result in the series at Darlington Raceway in May by finishing 10th before returning for Pocono Raceway in July and at Darlington in September, where he finished 15th in the latter event.

    Heim’s first Xfinity start of the 2024 season will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early March as he will pilot Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 26 Toyota GR Supra. The remainder of his part-time Xfinity schedule along with Sam Hunt Racing’s full driver lineup for the 2024 season remains to be determined.

    “Everyone at Sam Hunt Racing is excited to have Corey back with us at an expanded capacity in 2024,” Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, added. “Corey is a young man that I’ve been a vocal believer in for years now, and I know he will be a driver that can grow into a staple of our Xfinity Series program. He embraces and believes in our group, and he is willing to put the work in to grow with us and compete at the highest level possible.”

    Corey Heim’s first Xfinity Series start of the season with Sam Hunt Racing is set to occur at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2. The event’s broadcast time is slated to occur at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • My official way too early 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff predictions

    My official way too early 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff predictions

    In what’s been an extremely entertaining, drama-filled offseason, it’s finally time for me to make Playoff predictions in December that everyone will be laughing at by June. So again, please don’t revisit this article after the regular season finale. 

    Virtual Locks (These Guys Are Shoe-ins)

    Cole Custer, No. 00 Ford Mustang, Stewart Haas Racing 

    After being relegated to the Xfinity Series, Cole Custer did what many fans thought he could do; he went out and proved that he still belongs in the upper echelons of NASCAR. Custer won thrice in 2023 en route to his first Xfinity Series championship and will try to repeat in 2024 to prove to the racing world that he deserves another chance in the Cup Series. I think he wins two or three in the regular season and is postseason-bound by week five or six. 

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro, Kaulig Racing 

    Kaulig may have the most exciting lineup of any multi-car team in any NASCAR series next year. AJ Allmendinger and Shane Van Gisbergen are all but guaranteed to be contenders at every road course, and Allmendinger is essentially a lock to be a part of the postseason field. While still looking for his first Xfinity Series championship, he’s a three-time regular season champ and is coming off a Cup Series win at the Charlotte Roval. As far as championship picks go, he’s a popular one. 

    Justin Allgaier, No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro, JR Motorsports 

    Similar to fellow veteran Matt Crafton, Allgaier is 8-8 in terms of making the Playoffs. Unlike Crafton, however, he has failed to bring home a championship in his six Championship 4 appearances, but he’s always advanced through at least one round. While nobody is guaranteed to ever win a championship, Allgaier is about the safest bet you could possibly have to make the postseason, simply because he’s never missed it.

    Sam Mayer, No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro, JR Motorsports 

    Would I have made this pick a year ago? Absolutely not. But a month after Mayer won four times, and twice in the clutch, it feels like I have to. Add in his first Final 4 appearance, and Mayer is riding on as much momentum as any non-champion in the sport right now. It’ll take 10 races at the most before Mayer is locked into the 2024 Playoffs. 

    Austin Hill, No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, Richard Childress Racing

    Hill is another driver I’m not sure I would’ve considered a lock before the start of last season, but he proved myself and everyone else wrong. Despite missing the Championship 4 and the infamous RCR meltdown at Martinsville, Hill compiled four wins and 24 top 10s in 2023, not bad at all for a guy who was thought to only be a superspeedway specialist heading into the season. I would be shocked if he’s not locked in after the first 2 races of the year at Daytona and Atlanta. 

    Feeling Pretty Good…

    Sammy Smith, No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro, JR Motorsports 

    While he only won one race last season, Sammy Smith showed how much raw talent and potential he has by absolutely whipping the field in their first trip to Phoenix last March. Inconsistency was a problem at times, as he only compiled 15 top 10s, and that will be his biggest adversary en route to a Playoff spot. Despite this, I see him getting in with a victory around the halfway mark of the regular season, if not before. 

    Riley Herbst, No. 98 Ford Mustang, Stewart-Haas Racing

    Herbst broke out in a big way last season, but it was just a little too late for him to make a run at the championship. It figures that the first year he misses the Xfinity Series Playoffs, he heats up in crunch time. The win in Vegas and a subsequent second-place finish at Homestead laid the groundwork for what many expect to be his breakout season in 2024. If Herbst can’t get to Victory Lane, he’ll be consistent enough to point his way in. 

    Chandler Smith, No. 81 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing 

    The first JGR car to appear on this list, Smith collected his first Xfinity Series win at Richmond last spring, and nearly won at Las Vegas in the third race of the season before a last-lap pass by Austin Hill thwarted his plans. Smith brings a boatload of talent to an organization primed to have its best year of Xfinity Series competition yet. Like Sammy Smith, inconsistency plagued him at times in 2023, (only 13 top 10s in 33 races) but when he showed up, he was likely to be the class of the field. He’ll be back in Victory Lane at least once, if not more, in 2024. 

    Sheldon Creed, No. 18 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Like Austin Hill, many will remember Sheldon Creed’s 2023 campaign for the Martinsville Meltdown, which he admittedly got the rougher side of. Now with a new team, Creed is looking for his first Xfinity Series win and a second consecutive Playoff berth. He’s seemingly lost in every way possible, so I don’t think he really cares where or how he breaks through into Victory Lane. 

    By The Skin Of Their Teeth…

    Parker Kligerman, No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro, Big Machine Racing

    Kligerman impressed a lot of fans last season by making the Playoffs, and I think he will do so again. He was relatively close to a win on a couple of occasions, but I think he and the No. 48 team will squeak by into the postseason for the second consecutive year. Don’t rule out a win though – Kligerman very nearly won at Atlanta last year before spinning backward across the line to finish third. 

    Brandon Jones, No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro, JR Motorsports 

    It’s completely understandable to doubt Brandon Jones after a poor showing in 2023. But in his second year with JRM, I expect Jones to take a big step forward. I don’t think he will win a race, but better speed at the end of 2023 serves as a preview of what Jones can do. Behind all the pay driver jokes is a young driver who still has a ton of talent. Lest we forget he straight-up beat Kyle Busch one-on-one at Phoenix in 2020. I think Jones will have to scrap for his Playoff spot in 2024, but his “big race” experience outweighs that of his bubble competitors, and its value can’t be understated. 

    And Finally…

     Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro, Kaulig Racing

    Accuse me of recency bias, buying into the hype, or whatever else you want to call it, but so long as Kaulig provides him with good race cars, SVG will be competitive. I put him in this category because it’ll be close on points unless he can win at a road course, which is a definite possibility. No disrespect intended towards Josh Williams, Hailie Deegan, Brett Moffitt, or any other bubble drivers, but the talent of SVG will be too much for them to overcome. 

    Just A Bit Outside…

    Josh Williams, No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro, Kaulig Racing

    Williams brings personality and a great work ethic to Kaulig, but is there top-level talent to match the top-level equipment? No disrespect to Williams, who has made do with sub-par equipment, but 11 top 10s in 186 career Xfinity Series races doesn’t scream Year 1 Playoff driver to me. Hopefully, Williams proves me wrong, but I’ll wait till 2025 to put NASCAR’s favorite valet in the postseason. 

    Jesse Love, No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro, Richard Childress Racing 

    The raw talent is there. The equipment is there. The team is there. But three Truck Series starts is Love’s only experience in the top three series of NASCAR. I understand why RCR went with him, as he has the potential to be NASCAR’s next superstar, but a lack of experience in big moments keeps him out of the Playoffs in 2024. Stay tuned for 2025, though, where I think he’ll be a championship contender. Don’t expect the 2023 ARCA champ (and 10-time race winner) to stay quiet for very long. 

    Hailie Deegan, No. 15 Ford Mustang, AM Racing

    I’ve been pretty critical of Deegan’s lack of results in good Truck Series equipment, but that 2022 Las Vegas Xfinity race, in which Deegan finished 13th in her NXS debut driving for SS Greenlight, can’t be ignored. It’s only one race, but if Deegan takes to the Xfinity Series quickly, she could prove me wrong and be a contender. Similar to Jesse Love, however, she doesn’t have much “big race” experience, which could prove costly once the bubble battle heats up in August and September. 

    Jeb Burton, No. 27 Chevrolet Camaro, Jordan Anderson Racing

    Jeb Burton was frustrating to watch last season. The win at Talladega was nice, but it’d be great if he could show that he can win at the non-superspeedways as well. That victory at Talladega was his only top-five and just six top 10s meant he was easily disposed of in the Round of 12. If Burton wants to point his way in, he’ll need to minimize DNFs and find creative ways (such as pit strategy) to jump ahead of the usual contenders on the racetrack. 

    Next Four Out: Jeremy Clements, Ryan Sieg, Ryan Ellis, Brennan Poole

    So, there you have it. Sixteen more predictions that will likely all be ruined by race six or seven. Again, I ask you to please not revisit this article after the Xfinity Series regular-season finale to see how incredibly wrong I was. 

    Here’s to another fantastic year of the NASCAR Xfinity Series!

  • Kaulig Racing reveals driver-crew chief pairing for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Kaulig Racing reveals driver-crew chief pairing for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Kaulig Racing took to social media to reveal its driver-crew chief pairing that features a full shuffling of crew chief assignments alongside new and familiar drivers towards its three-car operation for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    First off, Kevin Walter joins the Kaulig organization to serve as a crew chief for the first time in his career and for the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro entry that will be piloted by Josh Williams in 2024. Walter joins Kaulig after previously serving as an engineer for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and as a Cup Series crew chief for five races while paired with Michael McDowell and Leavine Family Racing in 2015. He spent this past season as an engineer for Josh Berry and the No. 8 JRM team. Like Walter, his driver, Williams, is a newcomer at Kaulig, a team he joins after making 186 series career starts to date (2016-23). He spent this past season as an Xfinity competitor for DGM Racing, where he ended up in 21st place in the final driver’s standings and has both 11 top-10 career finishes and an average-finishing result of 22.7 to date.

    Meanwhile, Alex Yontz will return to Kaulig for a fifth season as he will work atop the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro entry team that will be piloted by veteran AJ Allmendinger. Yontz, a former racer turned crew chief from Walnut Cove, North Carolina, has eight Xfinity victories as a crew chief to date, including three this past season with Allmendinger twice (Circuit of the Americas in March & Nashville Superspeedway in June) and Kyle Larson once (Darlington Raceway in May) while working atop Kaulig’s No. 10 pit box. For 2024, he will be paired with Allmendinger, a 17-time Xfinity race winner who returns to the series amid a one-year absence, where he spent the previous season in the Cup Series at Kaulig and won at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course last October.

    Lastly, Bruce Schlicker also returns for a fifth season at Kaulig as he will work atop the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro entry team that will be piloted by newcomer Shane van Gisbergen. Schlicker, who holds both a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University, has seven Xfinity victories as a crew chief to date, including five with Allmendinger in 2022 and one this past season with Chandler Smith that occurred at Richmond Raceway last April. The upcoming season presents a new pairing for Schlicker as he will work with van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion from Auckland, New Zealand, who won in his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course last July and is set to campaign in his first campaign within NASCAR’s top three national touring series for the 2024 Xfinity circuit. The Australian will also compete as a part-time Cup Series competitor for Trackhouse Racing, the team which van Gisbergen won with at Chicago.

    The 2024 season is set to mark Kaulig Racing’s ninth consecutive season in the Xfinity Series and fourth fielding three full-time entries. Through a combined 524 starts, the organization has notched 23 victories, 15 poles, 121 top-five results, 274 top-10 results, 2,789 laps led. The team has also notched two Cup Series victories in a combined 158 career starts. Having placed at least one entry in the Xfinity Series Playoffs since the team’s and Playoff’s inception since 2016, Kaulig remains in pursuit of its first NASCAR national touring series championship.

    Kaulig Racing’s crew chief lineup for its NASCAR Cup Series operations, including its plans for the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team that still remains vacant along for Jason Trinchere, who served as the crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 11 entry in the Xfinity Series, remains to be determined.

    With Kaulig Racing’s driver-crew chief pairing for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season set, the team’s upcoming season campaign commences at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300. The event is scheduled to occur on February 17, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Speedway Motorsports COO Mike Burch’s Passion For NASCAR Video Games and Short Track Racing An Uplifting Sign

    Speedway Motorsports COO Mike Burch’s Passion For NASCAR Video Games and Short Track Racing An Uplifting Sign

    Sitting in his office in Concord, North Carolina, Speedway Motorsports Chief Operating Officer Michael Burch smiled through much of our chat. Working at Speedway Motorsports for over 20 years, Burch brings a smile and a positive attitude into the workplace day in and day out. 

    “It’s really fun when you can come and spend a significant part of your day, eight hours of your day, with the people that you work with,” Burch said. “Without people, it’s a big asphalt circle or a big asphalt road course, and it’s a grandstand. And it’s really the experience that people make work. Their creativity, their energy, their hospitality, their friendliness, all those things I think is really what you remember when you go to the races.”

    Burch got into the sport differently than most people of his experience, and in a way that would make current Cup Series Driver William Byron proud: He fell in love with NASCAR video games. 

    “I grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, where Roger Penske has his trucking empire based. I was more of an IndyCar fan, watching the Indy 500 on Memorial Day,” Burch said. “I was aware of NASCAR, but it was actually the NASCAR video games that got me involved. I was a big gamer growing up and that’s what really taught me who drove what cars and the sponsors, and manufacturers and drivers, but also gave me an understanding of how the cars actually work. There was so much interesting feedback, that dynamic, you know, you could see that right front tire going from black, to green, to yellow, to red as it wore out, and you had to decide when to pit. You could feel the car start to move around and lose its optimal line.”

    Burch’s love for the gaming side of NASCAR extends to the future of the sport as well. 

    “It’s been a real passion of mine, and I really think it’s important in bringing new fans to the sport. You look at William Byron who literally went from iRacing to driving the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports. It’s one of the rare video game experiences where the inputs are exactly the same as what you’d do in the real world. You can get as good as you want pressing that X button and moving that controller in Madden, or NBA 2K, or ESPN FC, but that really isn’t going to help you on the soccer pitch, or the basketball court, or the football field.”

    “I’m really excited that iRacing has gotten that (NASCAR) license, they’ve done some great work, and I’m really looking forward to them bringing their expertise to consoles, and making sure we do have some good console games.”

    When I asked Burch about his favorite moment in his over 2 decade-long career at SMI, his face lit up. 

    “The experience at North Wilkesboro has been something that I think everyone involved will always remember. The smile on (the fans) faces, the energy, the excitement, they just couldn’t believe they were back at North Wilkesboro watching racing,” Burch says, recounting the return of the famed track in May of this year. 

    Burch ended by saying words that all race fans should do their best to live by. 

    “I just encourage everybody to get to a race in 2024. Make that a New Year’s Resolution,” he joked. “It doesn’t have to be a Speedway Motorsports facility. Make sure you’re supporting your local short track. If you can get to a Cup race, fantastic. If you get to one of our facilities, fantastic. Racing only survives if fans continue to support it, and there’s an awful lot of race tracks out there that are really being challenged.”

    In a sports world where loyalty and sincerity are becoming a lost art, Mike Burch’s passion and love for racing shines a light on all the good still left in those who choose to share it with the masses. 

  • Joe Gibbs Racing reveals driver-crew chief lineup for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Joe Gibbs Racing reveals driver-crew chief lineup for 2024 Xfinity Series season

    Joe Gibbs Racing revealed its highly anticipated driver lineup for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season that will feature two new full-time additions, a notable veteran and a combination of new and familiar part-time faces that will result into a four-car expansion for the organization.

    The organization’s first new addition features Sheldon Creed, who will be piloting the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra on a full-time basis. The 26-year-old Creed from Alpine, California, joins JGR following a two-year campaign at Richard Childress Racing, where he recorded seven runner-up results, 11 top-five finishes and 28 top-10 results during the stint. He also made the 2023 Xfinity Series Playoffs before settling in a career-best seventh place in the final standings.

    The 2024 season is set to mark Creed’s first campaign driving a Toyota within NASCAR’s top three national touring series as he spent his entire career piloting a Chevrolet (2016-23). Having previously won the 2018 ARCA Menards Series and the 2020 Craftsman Truck Series championships, Creed approaches the 2024 season with aims of both achieving his first victory in the Xfinity circuit and returning to the Playoffs.

    Another new full-time addition to JGR’s lineup for next season is Chandler Smith, who will be assuming the reigns of the No. 81 GR Supra. Smith’s move to JGR comes as the 21-year-old native from Talking Rock, Georgia, is coming off his first full-time campaign in the Xfinity circuit with Kaulig Racing, where he notched his first career victory at Richmond Raceway in April. He also claimed three poles, eight top-five results, 13 top-10 results, an average-finishing result of 15.6 and a spot in the 2023 Xfinity Playoffs, where he ended up in ninth place in the final standings. Despite being initially locked into a three-year deal with Kaulig, Smith ended up paying a buyout of his contract to depart the organization early, with the official announcement of his departure from Kaulig being made last October.

    Smith’s move to Joe Gibbs Racing also marks his return to the Toyota Racing family following a one-year absence. He previously achieved 10 ARCA Menards Series victories with Venturini Motorsports (2018-20 & 2022) and five Craftsman Truck Series victories with Kyle Busch Motorsports (2021-22), all while piloting Toyota entries. With the 2024 season within the horizon, Smith, who ended up in the runner-up spot in the 2023 rookie standings, strives to return to the Playoffs and contend for both additional victories and the title in the Xfinity circuit.

    With Creed and Smith locked in as full-time competitors, Joe Gibbs Racing will also be fielding two additional entries that will each be piloted by multiple competitors throughout the 2024 season.

    The first All-Star entry features the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra that will be primarily split between Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek.

    The 39-year-old Almirola from Tampa, Florida, is coming off his 12th full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series and sixth driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, where he settled in 22nd place in the 2023 final driver’s standings on the strength of two poles, two top-five results and five top-10 results. Despite announcing his retirement from full-time NASCAR competition following the 2023 season in late October, Almirola remained interested in pursuing a part-time campaign within the Xfinity circuit for the 2024 season.

    Almirola’s upcoming part-time campaign with JGR reunites both parties as the Floridian commenced his NASCAR career with the organization between 2005 and 2007. Having achieved three victories in 460 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, Almirola has also made 104 career starts in the Xfinity circuit. During the span, he recorded a total of four victories, with his latest occurring at Sonoma Raceway in June as he delivered the first victory for RSS Racing. The move to JGR will mark his first campaign in a Toyota since the 2010-11 Truck Series seasons.

    Meanwhile, Nemechek returns for his third Xfinity campaign with at least one start in the series for JGR. He will commence the 2024 campaign by competing in the series’ first two-scheduled events at Daytona International Speedway and at Atlanta Motor Speedway, both in mid-February, before returning to compete at Nashville Superspeedway in late June, all while sponsored by Pye-Barker Fire & Safety. The events at Daytona, Atlanta and Nashville are just three of 10-scheduled starts planned for Nemechek, with the remaining seven venues yet to be revealed. The 26-year-old Nemechek from Mooresville, North Carolina, is coming off a full-time campaign with JGR in the Xfinity Series, where he drove the No. 20 entry to a season-high seven victories, two poles, 17 top-five results, 24 top-10 results, 1,083 laps led and an average-finishing result of 9.5. He would also make the Playoffs and claim a Championship 4 berth, where he would settle in fourth place in the final driver’s standings. In addition to his part-time Xfinity campaign, Nemechek is set to compete in the Cup Series on a full-time basis for Legacy Motor Club.

    For JGR’s second All-Star entry, the following names that include Joe Graf Jr., Taylor Gray, William Sawalich and Ryan Truex will be splitting driving responsibilities of the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra.

    For Truex, the 31-year-old native from Mayetta, New Jersey, is coming off his second consecutive part-time campaign with JGR, where he achieved his first career victory both in the Xfinity circuit and within NASCAR’s top three national touring series at Dover Motor Speedway in April. He also recorded two additional top-five results in six total starts, all occurring in JGR’s No. 19 entry.

    The 2024 season will mark Truex’s fifth part-time Xfinity campaign with JGR (2011-12, 2022-23). In 24 Xfinity starts with JGR, Truex has achieved one victory, six top-five results and 14 top-10 results. In total, he has made 90 career starts in the Xfinity Series, where he has accumulated eight top-five results and 30 top-10 results.

    For Graf, the 25-year-old native from Mahwah, New Jersey, returns for a second part-time campaign with JGR after making his first six starts with the organization this past season. During the stint, he recorded two top-10 results while making the rest of his 27 series starts at RSS Racing as he ended up in 23rd place in the final standings. Currently, he has made 126 career starts in the Xfinity Series and has accumulated a total of five top-10 results.

    For Gray, the 18-year-old native from Artesia, New Mexico, joins both JGR and the Xfinity Series as a newcomer, though his first part-time schedule with the organization has yet to be announced. In addition to the Xfinity Series, Gray is set to compete on a full-time basis in this year’s Craftsman Truck Series season with TRICON Garage after competing in nearly the entire schedule this past season, where he recorded six top-10 results and settled in 15th place in the final standings. He previously recorded nine victories across the ARCA Racing Series divisions, including three in the ARCA Menards Series.

    Lastly, Sawalich, another newcomer to the Xfinity Series, will compete in the closing stretches of the upcoming Xfinity schedule once he turns 18 years of age on October 3. His schedule will involve the final three events at Homestead-Miami Speedway in mid-October followed by Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, respectively, in early November.

    The 17-year-old Sawalich from Eden Prairie, Minnestoa, is coming off a 25-race schedule across the ARCA Racing Series for JGR. Throughout his stint, Sawalich secured the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East championship on the strength of four victories and finishing no lower than fourth place throughout the eight-race schedule. He would also record four victories in the ARCA Menards Series and a single victory in the ARCA West finale at Phoenix Raceway in November.

    In addition to his part-time Xfinity schedule, Sawalich will pilot JGR’s No. 18 entry for a majority of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule as he will share the ride with Tanner Gray, who competes in the Truck Series for TRICON Garage.

    The amount of races that will occur between Almirola, Graf, Gray, Nemechek and Truex between the Nos. 19 and 20 entries remain to be determined.

    Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

    “Over the last couple of months, we’ve been working diligently to put together our 2024 Xfinity program which will include the addition of a fourth team,” Steve DeSouza, EVP NASCAR Xfinity Series/Development at JGR, said. “Our 2024 roster has a great balance of experience, youth, wisdom, and talent. We believe the veteran drivers will continually benchmark our program, compliment, and challenge each other, as well as assist our younger drivers to further develop their skill set. We are also excited about our crew chiefs and the teams they have assembled. We take a lot of pride in not only our program’s on-track success, but also in the opportunity to develop and promote our team members.”

    The crew chief lineup for JGR’s four-car entry will feature a bevy of first-timers alongside a notable name. Veteran Jeff Meendering returns for his sixth season with JGR as he will be paired with Chandler Smith and the No. 81 entry. Meanwhile, Tyler Allen, a former Xfinity and Cup engineer for JGR, will graduate to the role of crew chief for the No. 20 entry that will be split between Almirola and Nemechek while Seth Chavka, a former lead race engineer for JGR, will campaign in his first full-time season as a crew chief for the No. 19 entry that will be split between Graf, Gray, Sawalich and Truex. Lastly, Sam McAulay, who previously served as a lead race engineer for veteran Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series, will assume the role as crew chief for JGR’s No. 18 entry that will be piloted by Creed.

    With the driver and crew chief lineup set, Joe Gibbs Racing’s campaign in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is scheduled to commence at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to occur on February 17, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.