The second round of the first ever Xfinity Series Chase kicks off on Saturday at Kansas Speedway with just eight drivers setting their sights on a championship.
The first ever Xfinity Series Chase for the championship has moved into its second phase after last weekend’s elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ty Dillon, Ryan Sieg, Brennan Poole and Brandon Jones have to wait until 2017 to land a title in whatever series they will be competing full time after being bumped.
Kansas Speedway kicks off the opening event in the Round of 8, the Kansas Lottery 300 Saturday afternoon with seven drivers coming from more established teams – Joe Gibbs Racing (Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones), JR Motorsports (Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier), Richard Childress Racing (Brendan Gaughan), Roush Fenway Racing (Ryan Reed and Darrell Wallace Jr.) – and a sentimental favorite in Blake Koch who made the Chase and the first cut driving for Kaulig Racing, an outfit that did not exist until earlier this year.
All drivers will have to navigate the next three races if there are to make the Final Four in the last race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19, Kansas, Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway.
This weekend there will be seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars attempting to make the field at Kansas: Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Regan Smith, Josh Wise and Matt DiBenedetto. Cup drivers will also compete in the remaining four Xfinity events.
This is how each Chase driver is seeded entering Kansas:
1 – Daniel Suarez
2 – Elliott Sadler
3 – Justin Allgaier
4 – Erik Jones
5 – Brendan Gaughan
6 – Ryan Reed
7 – Darrell Wallace Jr.
8 – Blake Koch
Daniel Suarez has two wins on the season including one in the Chase at Dover where he led 123 laps in the No. 19 Toyota. This is just his second trip to the Kansas track.
“I’m really looking forward to Kansas and getting the Round of 8 of the Chase started this weekend,” he said. “We’ve been really consistent over the past few weeks, and we need to continue to carry that momentum with us over the next four races. Scott (Graves, crew chief) and the guys at the shop continue to build me really great Camrys and its really fun going to the track each weekend.”
The Mexican born Suarez had the privilege to visit the White House on Tuesday to participate in town hall discussion with Hispanic youth in support of Hispanic Heritage Month.
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“It was a cool experience. It was a good week. It was really cool to be for the first time in the White House and to be able to talk to some kids from college, from high school and to give them advice. I think that was something really good in the Hispanic Heritage Month, I think that’s something really cool as well. For me, it’s just a great honor to be in this position right now and to be in NASCAR and to be a Latin driver and to be able to try to help all of these kids that are coming along from school, from college, from all of these different places to be successful in life.”
Here is a look at the race:
Next Race: Kansas Lottery 300
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date: Saturday, Oct. 15
The Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps)