• Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

NASCAR Xfinity elimination race has all the ingredients for intense drama

It would be difficult to imagine a tighter race for the final spots in the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Round of 8 entering Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

Only 23 points separate seventh-place AJ Allmendinger from 12th-place Parker Kligerman as the series prepares to trim its Playoff field from 12 drivers to eight. Justin Allgaier, who entered the Playoffs as the top seed, is seven points below the cut in ninth place, followed by Shane van Gisbergen (-10), Sam Mayer (-13) and Kligerman.

Initially, all eyes will turn to Allmendinger, who is undefeated in four Xfinity starts at the 17-turn, 2.280-mile circuit, which has undergone significant changes to Turns 6, 7 and 16 since last year’s race.

“I’m always super pumped to get to the Roval,” said Allmendinger, who did not run last year’s Xfinity race but picked up his first NASCAR Cup Series win there. “The last five years we’ve made such great memories, and hopefully we can continue to make some more.

“The new layout will be a little bit different compared to what we have run in the past, so that will be a new challenge. Overall, we’re going there with the mentality to try to get as many points as possible in the stages and get the best finish we can to hopefully get us into the next round of the Playoffs.”

Allmendinger’s main competition is likely to come from his Kaulig Racing teammate, Van Gisbergen, who like Allmendinger, also is racing in the Cup series this weekend. The three-time Australian Supercars champion has three Xfinity Series road course victories this season—at Portland, Sonoma and the Chicago Street Course.

“It’s going to be a big challenge, as it’s not like anything I’ve ever driven before,” Van Gisbergen said. “The track is a hybrid, not really a road course, and the cars are compromised to run on the oval as well. Going to be a fun weekend, but also going to be tough.

“We are on the other side of the playoff cut line than we want to be on, so just want to be up there at the front and get as many points as possible, which should hopefully put us in a good position for an awesome result in my WeatherTech Chevy.”

Mayer, who won last year’s Roval Playoff race from the pole, hopes to erase his 13-point deficit. Both Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith already have clinched spots in the Round of 8, leaving six berths up for grabs on Saturday.

• Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• Pole Winner: Shane Van Gisbergen
• Age: 35
• Team : No 97 - WeatherTech Chevrolet
• Owner: Matthew Kaulig
• Crew Chief: Kevin Walter
• Shane Van Gisbergen won the Pole Award for the Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina with a lap of 84523 seconds, 97110 mph
• This is his third pole in 29 NASCAR Xfinity Series races
• This is his third pole and eighth top-10 start in 2024
• This is his first pole in one races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
• Sam Mayer (second) posted his 15th top-10 start of 2024 and his third in four races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
• AJ Allmendinger (third) posted his third top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course It is his 21st in 29 races this season
• Shane Van Gisbergen (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Drivers Entered: 38
• Laps Scheduled: 67
• Laps Actual: 72 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
• Margin of Victory: 01.474 Seconds
• Time of Race: 2 Hours 25 Minutes 35 Seconds
• Average Speed: 66.290
• Cautions: 7 for 20 laps
• Lead Changes: 12
• Green Flag Passes: 1,506 (29.0 passes per green flag lap)

• Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• Race Winner: Sam Mayer
• Age: 21
• Team : No 1 - QPS Employment Group Chevrolet
• Owner: LW Miller
• Crew Chief: Mardy Lindley
• Sam Mayer won the Drive for the Cure 250 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, his seventh victory in 113 Xfinity Series races
• This is his third victory and 12th top-10 finish in 2024
• This is his second victory and third top-10 finish in four races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
• AJ Allmendinger (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in five races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course It is his 15th top-10 finish in 2024
• Shane van Gisbergen (third) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
• Shane van Gisbergen (third) was the highest finishing rookie
• Chandler Smith leads the point standings by 23 points over Austin Hill