The Food City 300 has produced plenty of thrilling finishes over the years and certainly has earned its place as one of the crown jewel events for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
This year it will once again serve as the Xfinity Series Playoff opener for the Round of 12. Drivers and teams who will be looking for a strong showing on Bristol’s high banks to ensure that they get off to a strong start in the Xfinity post-season.
As Justin Allgaier begins the defense of the long-awaited NASCAR Xfinity Series title he won at Phoenix Raceway last year, the focus, appropriately enough, is on his rookie JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch.
The 19-year-old driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet has won seven of the last eight races, including the last four straight, tying Sam Ard (1983) and Noah Gragson (2022) for the Xfinity Series record for consecutive victories.
Zilisch, the Regular Season Champion, is 59 points above the current elimination line for the Playoffs’ Round of 12 entering Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
He plans to keep his remarkable streak going as the postseason begins.
“This No. 88 team has been on a run this year, and four wins in a row is a rare feat, but we aren’t going to take any of that for granted going into the Playoffs,” Zilisch said. “(Crew chief) Mardy (Lindley), my whole team and my pit crew continue to execute every week, and we don’t plan on turning down the intensity anytime soon.
“It has been awesome to have the success we have had this season, and we plan to unload another fast WeatherTech Chevrolet this Friday.”
At 30 points above the current cut line, Allgaier is the only Playoff driver besides Zilisch with any degree of comfort entering the Playoffs.
Allgaier has taken his new teammate’s success in stride.
“One thing I love is that they’ve had success," Allgaier said of the Zilisch nine-win run. “As a company we’re still winning and we’re still doing all the right things … it doesn’t matter what race team you work at, when at least one of your cars is having success everybody’s elevated, everybody is ready to keep pushing and keep going.
“We’ve got four fast race cars every week, we just haven’t been able to show what we’re capable of and I’m hoping once these Playoffs start we can do a better job of executing. I know I have the team behind me.”
The remaining 10 Playoff drivers, from Sam Mayer in third to Austin Hill in 12th, are covered by a spread of 16 points. Mayer is 11 points to the good while Hill, who lost his regular-season Playoff points under penalty for wrecking Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is five points below the elimination line.
Hill is motivated by his position entering the Playoffs
“For me, I think going into the Playoffs and not having the Playoff points and all that just kind of gave me a little bit more determination in these last few races before the Playoffs started, kind of fired me up a little bit more," Hill said. “Almost made me angry in a sense… just that I want to show the world and all the outside noise what this 21-team is capable of and what I’m capable of doing and that’s to try and win a championship and I think we can do that no matter if our backs are to the walls or not."
The tight Playoff field all but guarantees an intense scramble for position in Friday night’s Playoff opener on Bristol’s concrete high banks.
Others to watch among a mix of the circuit regulars and Playoff contenders include RCR’s Jesse Love, veteran Sheldon Creed, Christian Eckes, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, Carson Kvapil, Harrison Burton and surging Taylor Gray.
A few moonlighting drivers to keep on your radar for the race include Brendan “Butterbean” Queen, a rising star in the stock car racing world who will be making his Xfinity debut in the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy. The race will mark the return of Jeffrey Earnhardt to Bristol, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., who will be driving the No. 24 machine for Sam Hunt Racing. The No. 17 of Hendrick Motorsports which won here in the spring with Kyle Larson at the controls, will be piloted at this event by Corey Day, who is also entered in Thursday’s Truck race in the No. 7 Chevy for Spire. Finally, Cup veteran and semi-retired racer Aric Almirola also will be back in action at this event, driving the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing entry. Almirola seemed to have a knack for navigating Bristol during his Cup days.
The race weekend also features the UNOH 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff Race on Thursday night (8 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio) and Saturday’s crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race in the NASCAR Cup Series (7:30 p.m., USA Network and PRN Radio). The Night Race is an elimination race for the Round of 16 Playoffs in the Cup Series.
To purchase tickets, please visit the Bristol Motor Speedway website, or call (866) 415-4158.
