The following is a deep dive into the 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers who have qualified for the 2019 Playoffs and their experience at Richmond Raceway ahead of this Friday’s Go Bowling 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 12 drivers are listed below in their current Playoff seeding heading into Richmond:
Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season second in the driver standings after posting six wins, 15 stage wins, 17 top fives, 18 top 10s and four poles. His average starting position this season is 4.1 and his average finishing position is 8.7. Plus, he has gathered 55 Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Bell’s second career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; he finished the 2018 season fourth in the final standings.
Heading to Richmond this weekend, Bell is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs No. 1 seed with 2,055 points. Richmond Raceway is one of Bell’s best tracks, in four starts on the 0.75-mile he has put up two wins (2018 sweep), three top 10s and a pole; including winning this race last season.
Cole Custer (No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season third in the driver standings after posting six wins, six stage wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s and six poles. His average starting position this season is 5.8 and his average finishing position is 10.0. In total he collected 44 Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Custer’s third consecutive career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; he finished the 2017 season fifth and the 2018 season runner-up in the final championship standings.
Rolling into Richmond this weekend, Custer is ranked second in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,044 points. Custer has made six series starts at Richmond, posting one win (earlier this season), three top 10s and one pole. He started fourth and finished 15th in the Richmond Playoff race last season.
Tyler Reddick (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season as the regular season champion after amassing five wins, four stage wins, 20 top fives (series-most), 22 top 10s (series-most) and three poles. His average starting position this season is 6.9 and his average finishing position is 5.7 (also series-best). In total he collected 44 Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Reddick’s second straight appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. Last season he raced his way into the Championship 4 and then took the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the championship finale to win the series title. Now he is the first returning champion to compete in the following season’s Playoffs and could become the first driver to win back-to-back titles in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the Playoff era (2016-2019) and the seventh all-time.
Reddick heads to Richmond this weekend ranked third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,044 points. Reddick has made four series starts at the 0.75-mile track posting one top five and two top 10s. He started 14th and finished seventh in the Richmond Playoff opener last season.
Austin Cindric (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season fifth in the driver standings after posting two wins, one stage win, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s and three poles. His average starting position this season is 6.4 and his average finishing position is 9.4. In total he collected 17 Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Cindric’s second consecutive career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; he finished the 2018 season eighth in the final championship standings.
Preparing for Richmond this weekend, Cindric is ranked fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,017 points. Cindric has made three series starts at Richmond posting two top-five finishes; including a runner-up finish earlier this season. He started 11th and finished 13th in this event last season.
Chase Briscoe (No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing with Fred Biagi Ford Mustang) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season sixth in the driver standings after posting one win, two stage wins, nine top fives and 20 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 9.9 and his average finishing position is 8.3. In total he collected 12 Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Briscoe’s first career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; one of four rookies to make the postseason.
Currently Briscoe is ranked fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,012 points. Briscoe has made two series starts at Richmond posting one top 10 – an eighth-place finish earlier this season.
Justin Allgaier (No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season fourth in the driver standings after posting five stage wins, 11 top fives and 18 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 7.3 and his average finishing position is 10.1. In total he collected 12 Playoff points to take into the postseason. Allgaier is the only Playoff contender to compete in all four seasons of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs since its inception in 2016. In 2016 and 2017 he made the Championship 4 and ultimately finished third in the final championship standings in both seasons. Last year, he made the Playoffs but was eliminated in the Round of 8 and finished the season seventh in points.
Heading to Richmond this weekend, Allgaier is ranked sixth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,012 points. Allgaier has the most experience of any of the Playoff contenders at Richmond having made 17 series starts at the track, posting four top fives and seven top 10s; including a third-place finish earlier this season. But keep an eye out for Allgaier this weekend, as he will be looking to rebound from last season’s Playoff opener at Richmond, where he started fifth but finished 32nd due to a late race incident.
Michael Annett (No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season eighth in the driver standings after posting one win, one stage win, five top fives, 15 top 10s and a pole. His average starting position this season is 11.1 and his average finishing position is 10.2. In total he collected nine Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Annett’s second career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. His first postseason appearance was in 2017 but it was short lived as he was bounced out of the Playoffs following the first round and ultimately finished ninth in the final standings.
As Richmond approaches, Annett is ranked seventh in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,009 points. He has made 14 series starts at Richmond, marshaling one top five and three top 10s. He started 17th and finished 14th in this Playoff race last season.
Noah Gragson (No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season seventh in the driver standings after collecting one stage win, seven top fives and 17 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 10.7 and his average finishing position is 8.9. In total he collected five Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Gragson’s first career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; one of four rookies to make the postseason.
Rolling into Richmond this weekend, Gragson is ranked eighth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,005 points. Gragson has made two series starts at Richmond posting one top five – a runner-up finish in the Spring 2018 race.
“I’m ready to get the Playoffs started this weekend in Richmond,” said Gragson. “I’ve always really enjoyed racing there and we came close to getting the win there last year. We all know what’s on the line now, so we just need to go out and execute and do our jobs.”
Brandon Jones (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season 10th in the driver standings after mustering three stage wins, four top fives and 13 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 8.8 and his average finishing position is 15.2. In total he collected four Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Jones’ third career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. His first postseason appearance was in 2016, but he was quickly bounced out of the Playoffs following the first round and ultimately finished 10th in the final standings. He missed the postseason in 2017 but raced his way into the 2018 Playoffs and finished a career-best ninth in final championship standings.
Currently Jones is ranked ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,004 points. Jones has made seven series starts at Richmond mobilizing two top 10s; including putting up his career-best finish at Richmond Raceway (eighth-place) in this race last season.
Justin Haley (No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season ninth in the driver standings after posting one stage win, three top fives and 17 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 11.8 and his average finishing position is 10.6. In total he collected three Playoff points to take into the postseason. This is Haley’s first career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; one of four rookies to make the postseason.
Traveling to Richmond this weekend, Haley is ranked 10th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,003 points. Haley made his series track debut at Richmond earlier this season; he started 14th and finished 10th.
Ryan Sieg (No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season 12th in the driver standings after posting one stage win, two top fives and nine top 10s. His average starting position this season is 13.3 and his average finishing position is 14.8. His lone stage win is the only Playoff point he takes into the postseason. This season is Sieg’s second career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. In 2016, he qualified for the postseason but was bounced out of the Playoffs following the Round of 12 and ultimately finished the season ninth in the final championship standings.
Looking to Richmond this weekend, Sieg is ranked 11th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,001 points. Sieg has made 11 series starts at Richmond posting his career-best finish at the 0.75-mile facility (fifth) earlier this season.
John Hunter Nemechek (No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet Camaro) – Finished the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season 11th in the driver standings after posting four top fives and 13 top 10s. His average starting position this season is 13.0 and his average finishing position is 13.8. This is Nemechek’s first career appearance in the Xfinity Series Playoffs; one of four rookies to make the postseason.
With Richmond ahead this week, Nemechek is ranked 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs standings with 2,000 points. He has made two series starts at Richmond posting one top 10 and an average finish of 10.0.
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