Xfinity Playoffs Ready To Roll

Chase Briscoe will begin the Xfinity Series playoffs ranked No. 1.
With the opening of NASCAR’s Xfinity Series playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 12 title contenders maintain there’s no clear-cut favorite for the championship despite Ford drivers Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric having won 12 of the 26 regular season races.
“What you’ve got to realize is the Xfinity Series has been very peaky this year with a lot of guys with a lot of momentum at a lot of different times,” Cindric said. “You look at there’s six or seven guys that have been able to step up and win races this year and winning races gets you to the next round and winning races gets you to the Championship 4. So there could easily be either some surprises or some guys that haven’t been as prevalent in the last month or so to really step up and make a difference.”
In addition to Briscoe’s seven victories and Cindric’s five, five other drivers have won multiple events this year. Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones possess three victories each, while Noah Gragson, Justin Haley and rookie Harrison Burton each own two.
Haley may be the one title contender many consider flying under the radar and that suits the sixth-seeded driver, who doesn’t show-off on social media and prefers to keep his personal life private.
“I didn’t become a race car driver to become famous. I became a race car driver because I wanted to race cars and win,” said Haley, who recorded victories this year at Talladega and Daytona. “I just don’t put myself out there like a lot of people and I think a lot of people overlook me for that reason. I kinda play off the mystery factor.”
The 12 playoff drivers represent seven different teams, including a single-car family operation – Brandonbilt Motorsports – which could be considered the sentimental favorite. With operations in Woodbridge, Va., and Mooresville, N.C., Brandon Brown had to battle his way into the playoffs while his father waged his fight with cancer. Shortly before the regular season finale at Bristol, Brown’s father “rang the bell”, which signals the conclusion of cancer treatments.
Gaining a spot in the playoffs meant the team achieved the goal it set at the season’s beginning and Brown described that as “incredible.”
“I’m over the moon about it and Dad is ecstatic,” Brown said. “With the adversity faced with COVID-19 and Dad’s health issues it would have made it really easy to find a distraction and an excuse as to why we couldn’t perform. Instead of looking at that and trying to find an excuse, they (team members) went out and tried to make it really happen for us. It showed with the cars that were brought to the track, because I was able to fight and run consistently top 10 to 15. I almost felt like we were becoming the king of 11th and 12th place.”
With the playoffs in Brown’s future, the team now plans to lease engines from Richard Childress Racing for Las Vegas and Talladega. He’s not sure if one was acquired for The ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway. If he advances, the leasing arrangement will continue.
While Brown’s team may be the playoffs’ sentimental favorite, the three full-time JR Motorsports drivers believe their organization has been overlooked by many.
“I feel we have four race cars in our organization that are absolutely incredible – drivers, crew chiefs, teams,” Allgaier said. “I look at the depth of people in our shop and there are a lot of days I’m really proud to be here because of the people.
“People are what make this sport successful or not successful. I think we have a great shot of having four race cars week-in and week-out that can compete for wins. We work together really well, too, which is something I don’t think you see at a lot of organizations. We’re capable of hopefully being the disrupters.”
Many of the playoff drivers have yet to solidify their 2021 plans, but that’s not the case for Chastain. Less than a week before the playoffs’ launch, Chip Ganassi Racing announced Chastain would drive its No. 42 entry next year in NASCAR’s Cup Series. However, Chastain emphasized he wouldn’t allow the Cup announcement distract him.
“The best part about being a race car driver is when I put my Bell helmet on and I latch that chin strap it changes,” Chastain said. “It changes me, it changes my mentality. Nothing else in the world matters. It’s only me, the steering wheel, the pedals and looking as far as the hood pins and hopefully, farther to go win that race. Fortunately, now without practice and qualifying, that’s all we focus on.”
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Below is a quick look at this year’s Xfinity title contenders as they are seeded in the playoffs’ first round that consists of Las Vegas, Talladega and The ROVAL at Charlotte.
- Chase Briscoe – No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Born: Dec. 15, 1994
Hometown: Mitchell, Ind.
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell II
This is the second time Briscoe has qualified for the playoffs.
2. Austin Cindric – No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Born: Sept. 2, 1998
Hometown: Mooresville, N.C.
Crew Chief: Brian Wilson
This is the third time Cindric has qualified for the playoffs.
3. Justin Allgaier – No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Born: June 6, 1986
Hometown: Riverton, Ill.
Crew Chief: Jason Burdell
This is the fifth time Allgaier has qualified for the playoffs.
4. Noah Gragson – No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Born: July 15, 1998
Hometown: Las Vegas
Crew Chief: David Elenz
This is the second time Gragson has qualified for the playoffs.
5. Brandon Jones – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Born: Feb. 18, 1997
Hometown: Atlanta
Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering
This is the fourth time Jones has qualified for the playoffs.
6. Justin Haley – No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Born: April 28, 1999
Hometown: Winamac, Ind.
Crew Chief: Alex Yontz
This is the second time Haley has qualified for the playoffs.
7. Harrison Burton – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Born: Oct. 9, 2000
Hometown: Huntersville, N.C.
Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
This is the first time Burton has qualified for the playoffs.
8. Ross Chastain – No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Born: Dec. 4, 1992
Hometown: Alva, Fla.
Crew Chief: Bruce Schlicker
This is the second time Chastain has qualified for the playoffs.
9. Ryan Sieg – No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet
Born: June 20, 1987
Hometown: Tucker, Ga.
Crew Chief: Kevin Starland
This is the third time Sieg has qualified for the playoffs.
10. Michael Annett – No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Born: June 23, 1986
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Crew Chief: Travis Mack
This is the third time Annett has qualified for the playoffs.
11. Riley Herbst – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Born: Feb. 24, 1999
Hometown: Las Vegas
Crew Chief: Dave Rogers
This is the first time Herbst has qualified for the playoffs.
12. Brandon Brown – No. 68 Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet
Born: Sept. 4, 1993
Hometown: Woodbridge, Va.
Crew Chief: Doug Randolph
This is the first time Brown has qualified for the playoffs.
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