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5 THINGS TO WATCH: Points title wide open as Xfinity Series starts season at Daytona

ryan pritt, the daytona beach news-journal
·4 min read
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DAYTONA BEACH — No matter what you choose to eat Saturday evening, the Beef. It's what's for Dinner. 300 promises to provide plenty of drama to feast on.

The season opener in the Xfinity Series promises to provide fireworks, as usual, and will serve as the final undercard to Sunday's 65th Daytona 500. Coverage for the 300-miler will begin at 5 p.m. on Fox Sports 1 with the green flag set for 5:20.

There are 44 cars on the entry list with qualifying set for 11:30 a.m. and also airing on FS1. Four teams will not make the 40-car field.

Here are five things to watch Saturday night.

SPEED FREAKS: After McDowell and Cindric, who's Daytona 500's next 1st-time winner?

THROUGH THE GEARS: Kurt is out, Jimmie is back, and, wait, who has the best career Daytona top-10 percentage?

With Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson gone, who steps up?

Ty Gibbs (54) and Noah Gragson (9) battled it out for a points title in the Xfinity Series last year. With both in the Cup Series now, who will emerge as the new driver to beat?
Ty Gibbs (54) and Noah Gragson (9) battled it out for a points title in the Xfinity Series last year. With both in the Cup Series now, who will emerge as the new driver to beat?

Last year, the Xfinity Series championship came down to Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson with Gibbs holding on for the win at the season finale at Phoenix. Gragson and Gibbs combined to win 15 of the series' 33 races last year.

Both of those drivers are in full-time Cup Series rides to start the 2023 season leaving the door open for new blood at the top. Further clearing the way was the return of AJ Allmendinger to the Cup Series. Allmendinger finished fifth in Xfinity points and won another five races on the circuit last year.

Who can step up and fill the void?

The obvious choices would be Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry, a pair of JR Motorsports drivers that finished third and fourth respectively last season. Sam Mayer, yet another JR Motorsports driver, won't turn 20 until June and could be poised to make a big leap after finishing seventh a year ago.

Cole Custer's last stand?

Cole Custer is back in the Xfinity Series. Can he right the ship?
Cole Custer is back in the Xfinity Series. Can he right the ship?

Custer could be another driver that finds himself in the championship mix by the end of the year.

After all, it hasn't been all that long ago since he registered back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Xfinity Series in 2018 and 2019.

What followed after was a three-year stint in the Cup Series driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, one that had more downs than ups with the unquestionable highlight coming in a win at Kentucky in 2020. Custer didn't finish higher than eighth last year with only three top-10s to his credit.

That prompted Tony Stewart to make a move, bringing Ryan Preece up and sending Custer back down to drive the organization's No. 00 entry.

Can Custer resurrect his career and rediscover his groove in the Xfinity Series? Saturday will begin to tell the tale.

Justin Haley, three others attempting double duty

Justin Haley won the Coke Zero Sugar 400, a Cup Series race, at Daytona in the summer of 2019.
Justin Haley won the Coke Zero Sugar 400, a Cup Series race, at Daytona in the summer of 2019.

Only one full-time Cup Series driver will run on Saturday night, Justin Haley in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.

That entry will be filled by a few Cup Series contenders this year with Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon also scheduled to take turns for select events.

Other drivers attempting to run both the Saturday night Xfniity race and the Daytona 500 are Chandler Smith, Riley Herbst and Austin Hill.

Wild (Saturday) night is calling

While it might technically be a final appetizer before Sunday's main course, in terms of late-race theatrics, the Xfinity race has provided as much as any race during Speedweek in recent years.

That certainly includes last year as Hill snatched the lead from Allmendinger on the backstretch as Myatt Snider was turned airward and into the catch fence in a violent crash.

Hill will look to become a rare back-to-back victor. The last seven spring Xfinity races at Daytona have produced seven different winners including the likes of Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Gragson and last year's Daytona 500 winner, Austin Cindric.

The last driver to win the event in consecutive years? Tony Stewart, who won four straight 2008-2011.

Earnhardt family values

Jeffrey Earnhardt (00) poses with a his helmet with the likeness of late grandfather Dale Earnhardt painted by Off Axis Paint prior to a Duel race at Daytona in 2018.
Jeffrey Earnhardt (00) poses with a his helmet with the likeness of late grandfather Dale Earnhardt painted by Off Axis Paint prior to a Duel race at Daytona in 2018.

Jeffrey Earnhardt's deal in December to drive the No. 44 Alpha Prime Chevrolet ensured that for the 43rd year in a row, an Earnhardt will compete during Speedweek.

The nephew of Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeffrey Earnhardt has made 230 combined starts across the Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck series and he notched his best career finish last year with a second place at Talladega.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR: Xfinity Series opener at Daytona promises drama, intrigue