We are just days away from the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season starting, with the United Rentals 300 set for Saturday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. ET.
There were some major shakeups in the series this offseason. Big names moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series while a few even bigger names moved into Xfinity.
Between now and championship weekend, we’ll be treated to an action-packed, star-studded show. Who are the favorites to make it to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway? Who else could make a serious run at it? Who will fill out the rest of the playoff field?
Sit back and get comfortable as we take a ride through the field.
Big-Name Additions
Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek, Daniel Hemric and Kaz Grala are all moving up to Cup for 2024. Of the four, only Nemechek went to victory lane last season.
But the incoming star power will have their work cut out for them if they want to beat the seven wins Nemechek achieved. Embedded in the newcomers is what could be a legendary battle, especially on the road courses, between AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen.
The ‘Dinger and SVG are two of the most talented road racers in the world today, and they’ll be teammates at Kaulig Racing, both running full-time in 2024. It’s going to be so fun to watch these two trade paint on the ovals and take each other to school at different times on the six road courses on the schedule.
van Gisbergen earned instant legend status by going to victory lane in his first NASCAR race: the Cup race at the Chicago Street Course last season. The Xfinity Series will be at Chicago again in 2024, and he’s got to be the overwhelming favorite there after that clinic he put on against the best.
At the rest of the road courses, and on the ovals, Allmendinger figures to have an advantage over van Gisbergen with his big lead in the experience department. In 2021 and 2022, Allmendinger’s last two full-time seasons in Xfinity, he went to victory lane 10 times; six on road courses and four on ovals. Kaulig had a down season last year, but with Allmendinger and van Gisbergen now in the lineup, the team should be a force week in and week out.
The other big addition to the series is former Craftsman Truck Series regular Hailie Deegan. In her three full-time seasons in the Truck Series, Deegan was inconsistent at best. She had five top 10s to go along with 13 DNFs. Deegan will drive for AM Racing, a team that has an alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …