The NASCAR Xfinity Series is gearing up for the final race in the regular season – the Food City 300 – at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET, and for the first time it will be broadcast on The CW alongside PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
There have been 80 NASCAR Xfinity Series races held at Bristol Motor Speedway since the inaugural event in 1982, and this weekend marks the fourth-time (2020-2022, 2024) Bristol has served as the regular season finale since the inception of the Playoffs in the series in 2016.
Bristol Motor Speedway is one of four track to host the regular season finale in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2016, alongside Chicagoland Speedway (2016-2017), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2018-2019) and Kansas Speedway (2023).
Bristol Motor Speedway is a staple in the Xfinity Series
Since 1982, the 80 NASCAR Xfinity Series races held at Bristol Motor Speedway have produced 51 different race winners and almost as many pole winners (50).
Eleven of 80 races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Kyle Busch in 2017.
Not only is Kyle Busch the most recent victor to win from the pole at Bristol’s 0.533-mile track, but he also holds the records for most series poles (six), wins (nine), top fives (17) and laps led (2,204).
Only three drivers entered in this weekend’s Food City 300 have claimed victory before at Bristol – Justin Allgaier, A.J. Allmendinger and two-time Xfinity Series Champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Regular Season Championship on the line
Current NASCAR Xfinity Series driver point standings leader, JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier, has just one race left in the regular season to earn the 2024 title and the 15 bonus Playoff points that come with it.
Heading into Bristol, Allgaier holds a 43-point edge over Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer in second in the standings.
Regular Season Championship Clinch Scenario:
The Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:
- Justin Allgaier: Would clinch with 18 points
- Cole Custer: Could only clinch with help
If Allgaier accomplishes the feat and wins this season’s Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship, he will become the second driver since the inception of the title in 2017 to win it twice, joining A.J. Allmendinger (2021, 2022). Allgaier is one of six drivers to win the title and won his first Regular Season Championship in 2018.
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Champions | |||
| Rank | Titles | Drivers (6) | Years |
| 1 | 2 | AJ Allmendinger | 2022, ’21 |
| 2 | 1 | Austin Hill | 2023 |
| Austin Cindric | 2020 | ||
| Tyler Reddick | 2019 | ||
| Justin Allgaier | 2018 | ||
| Elliott Sadler | 2017 | ||
Time Is Now: Xfinity Series Playoff outlook following Watkins Glen
With only one race left to earn a spot in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, fans can expect some action-packed racing this Friday in the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway as the 12-driver Playoff field will be finalized.
To this point, 10 of the 12 Playoff spots have been claimed – Austin Hill, Shane van Gisbergen, Justin Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Sam Mayer, Cole Custer, Jesse Love, and Riley Herbst are in on their respective wins while AJ Allmendinger and Sheldon Creed clinched their spot on points.
Currently occupying up the final two open Playoff spots are Parker Kligerman (+85 points above the cutline) and Sammy Smith (+43 points).
Just outside the cutline, fighting for their spot, are Ryan Sieg (-43 points back from the cutline) and Brandon Jones (-148 points). Sieg can still mathematically point his way into the postseason (would need help), but Jones and drivers ranked below him in the standings outlook are in a must-win situation this weekend.
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Projections Following Watkins Glen International | ||||||||
| Rank | Driver | Vehicle | Points | Starts | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff |
| 1 | Austin Hill | 21 | 802 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 18 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Shane van Gisbergen # | 97 | 606 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 17 | |
| 3 | Justin Allgaier | 7 | 901 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 24 | |
| 4 | Chandler Smith | 81 | 839 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 15 | |
| 5 | Sam Mayer | 1 | 566 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| 6 | Cole Custer | 0 | 858 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| 7 | Jesse Love # | 2 | 726 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 9 | |
| 8 | Riley Herbst | 98 | 724 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 9 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | 778 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | In On Points |
| 10 | Sheldon Creed | 18 | 764 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 1 | In On Points |
| 11 | Parker Kligerman | 48 | 704 | 25 | 0 | 1 | -4 | 85 |
| 12 | Sammy Smith | 8 | 662 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| 13 | Ryan Sieg | 39 | 619 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -43 |
| 14 | Brandon Jones | 9 | 514 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -148 |
| 15 | Anthony Alfredo | 5 | 482 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -180 |
| 16 | Brennan Poole | 44 | 431 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -231 |
| 17 | Josh Williams | 11 | 409 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -253 |
| 18 | Parker Retzlaff | 31 | 386 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -276 |
| 19 | Leland Honeyman # | 42 | 385 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -277 |
| 20 | Jeb Burton | 27 | 354 | 25 | 0 | 0 | -5 | -308 |
| 21 | Jeremy Clements | 51 | 342 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -320 |
| 22 | Ryan Ellis | 43 | 330 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -332 |
| 23 | Kyle Weatherman | 36 | 326 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -336 |
Regular Season Finale Clinch Scenarios: Bristol Motor Speedway
One last chance to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, and here are the clinch scenarios facing the competitors heading into this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Already Clinched
The following 10 drivers have clinched a spot in the 12-driver postseason field: Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger, Sheldon Creed, Jesse Love, Riley Herbst, Shane Van Gisbergen, Sam Mayer.
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 5th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among AJ Allmendinger, Sheldon Creed or Parker Kligerman.
- Parker Kligerman: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Sammy Smith: Would clinch with 13 points
- Ryan Sieg: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on points with a win by Sammy Smith:
- Parker Kligerman: Would clinch regardless of finish
If there is a new winner from Ryan Sieg or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings.
- Parker Kligerman: Would clinch with 14 points
- Sammy Smith: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Parker Kligerman, Sammy Smith, Ryan Sieg, Brandon Jones, Anthony Alfredo, Brennan Poole, Josh Williams, Parker Retzlaff, Leland Honeyman, Jeb Burton, Jeremy Clements, Ryan Ellis, Kyle Weatherman, Blaine Perkins
The Last Great Coliseum’s Xfinity Series conquerors
Only three drivers entered this weekend in the Food City 300 have hoisted the race winning trophy in Victory Lane, two are vying to make the Playoffs – Justin Allgaier and AJ Allmendinger – and the third is potentially making his final career start in the series – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier’s wins at the Tennessee track came last season when Bristol served as the first race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. He also won in 2010. In his 23 starts at Bristol, Allgaier has posted two wins (2010, 2023), 11 top fives, 15 top 10s and has led 1,114 laps – 853 laps more than the next highest driver entered this weekend, Earnhardt Jr. with 261.
Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, who has clinched his spot in the 2024 Xfinity Playoffs on points, won at Bristol in 2021. Allmendinger has made three starts at Bristol posting one win (2021), one top five and three top 10s. He also leads all active drivers with more than one start at Bristol in average finish with a 5.6.
JR Motorsport’s owner/driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made 13 Xfinity Series starts at Bristol posting one win (2004), seven top fives and nine top 10s.
Xfinity Series drivers will have a packed Friday as they head to hit the grid at 2 p.m. ET for practice, followed by qualifying at 2:40 p.m. ET on the USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App.
It’s Bristol, baby! Pressure builds for the regular season finale
For those drivers who are dancing on the cutline as the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to the regular season finale, Bristol will be a make-or-break situation. Let’s take a look at how they have performed at the 0.533-mile track.
Parker Kligerman, driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet, has made five starts at the track, posting three top-five finishes.
Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, has made two starts at Bristol, posting a 14th-place and ninth-place finish, respectively.
Ryan Sieg (driver of the No. 39 RSS Racing Ford), who is the first driver outside the cutline, has made 17 starts at Bristol, posting two top 10 finishes (both of which were in the last two years).
NASCAR PR
