One of the most anticipated race weekends in recent memory is finally here! The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers are loading up their cars and getting ready to zoom through the streets of Downtown Chicago for the inaugural The Loop 121 on Saturday, July 1 at 5 p.m. ET on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR radio.
Although this weekend’s race in the Windy City is the first of its kind, it’s not the first time the Xfinity Series has made left and right turns and some drivers are ready to take on the new ‘street course’ challenge. There are four active drivers entered in The Loop 121 that have road course wins under their belts – Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Jeremy Clements and Justin Marks.
Allgaier, driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, leads the field with most road course wins at three (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – 2012, Mid-Ohio & Road America – 2018). The Riverton, Illinois native heads into the weekend with plenty of momentum, having already posted one win (Charlotte), eight top fives, 10 top 10s and 197 laps led this season. He’s also put up impressive finishes on other road courses this season; including a fifth at COTA, runner-up at Portland, and seventh at Sonoma. The veteran driver, Allgaier, is no stranger to winning in Chicago either, he has already made the trip to Victory Lane twice at Chicagoland Speedway (2011, 2017).
Cole Custer, who drives the No. 00 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, posted his first road course win earlier this season at Portland International Raceway. The 25-year-old also comes into The Loop 121 with a string of solid finishes this season (one win, six top fives, 10 top 10s and 140 laps led). Like Allgaier, Custer has some familiarity with winning in the Chicago area, as he has also taken the checkered flag at Chicagoland Speedway (2019).
Jeremy Clements, driver of the No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet, posted his lone road course win at Road America in 2017. On road courses this season, he has posted a 14th-place finish (COTA), a 22nd-place finish (Portland) and a 17th-place finish (Sonoma).
Trackhouse Racing’s team owner Justin Marks will be joining in on the NASCAR Xfinity Series fun this weekend and getting behind the wheel of the No. 10 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing. Although Marks hasn’t ran a Xfinity Series race since 2018, he has an edge as he knows what it takes to win on a track that turns left and right. Marks’ win came in 2016 when he snagged the checkered flag at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: The Loop 121
The Place: Chicago Street Race
The Date: Saturday, July 1
The Time: 5 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,627,771
TV: USA, 4:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 121 miles (55 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 15),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 30), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 55)
Not short on first-time winners in 2023
The NASCAR Xfinity Series season has been exciting and action-packed, which has led to some first-time winners in Victory Lane. With an unpredictable track like the Chicago Street Race this weekend, could we see another first-time winner?
Rookie Sammy Smith, who drives the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, posted his first Xfinity Series career win earlier this season at Phoenix Raceway. He’s doing quite well in his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, having accumulated one win, three top five and six top 10-finishes thus far. Although he didn’t perform as he had hoped on the road course at Portland International Raceway a few weeks ago, he did well at COTA (fourth place) and Sonoma (ninth).
Another rookie who has managed to post a win this season is driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, Chandler Smith. His win came at Richmond Raceway after coming close just a few weeks prior at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (third). Smith currently leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year class with his 465 points. He has posted one win, four top fives, six top 10s and has led 279 laps this season. On other road courses this season, he has posted a 12th-place finish (COTA), a ninth-place finish (Portland) and a 14th-place finish (Sonoma).
Ryan Truex, who is not entered in this weekend’s The Loop 121, also posted his first Xfinity Series career win this season at Dover Motor Speedway. He drove a part time schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota. Truex’s Xfinity Series career began in 2010. In total, he made 90 starts posting one win, eight top fives and 30 top 10s.
Rotating through Victory Lane
The NASCAR Xfinity Series was riding a streak of 11 different winners that started in week five at Atlanta until AJ Allmendinger, who had snagged a win in week six at COTA, snapped the streak after he took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend.
The longest streak of different winners in the series is 13, which was set in 1988:
| No. | Date | Track | Race Winners |
| 1 | 2/13/1988 | Daytona | Bobby Allison |
| 2 | 2/28/1988 | Hickory | Mike Alexander |
| 3 | 3/5/1988 | Rockingham | Mark Martin |
| 4 | 3/13/1988 | Martinsville | Jimmy Hensley |
| 5 | 3/26/1988 | Darlington | Geoff Bodine |
| 6 | 4/9/1988 | Bristol | Dale Earnhardt |
| 7 | 4/30/1988 | Hampton (VA) | Tommy Ellis |
| 8 | 5/7/1988 | Nazareth | Rick Mast |
| 9 | 5/14/1988 | South Boston | Larry Pearson |
| 10 | 5/21/1988 | Nashville Fgds | Darrell Waltrip |
| 11 | 5/28/1988 | Charlotte | Dale Jarrett |
| 12 | 6/4/1988 | Dover | Bobby Hillin Jr |
| 13 | 6/11/1988 | Rougemont | Tommy Houston |
The most winners the Xfinity Series has seen in a full season is 18, which occurred in the 1988 and 2017 seasons, while the fewest is nine (2020). This season thus far, the Xfinity Series sits at 11: Austin Hill, John Hunter Nemechek, Sammy Smith, AJ Allmendinger, Chandler Smith, Jeb Burton, Ryan Truex, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer and Aric Almirola.
Playoff Bubble: Five spots still up for grabs
As the series gears up for some street course action this weekend, seven full-time drivers have won in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, leaving just five spots available in the 12-driver postseason field.
The drivers that have secured their spots in the Playoffs by virtue of wins are John Hunter Nemechek, Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Sammy Smith and Jeb Burton.
The five drivers that currently hold the remaining Playoff spots on points are Josh Berry (470 points), Sam Mayer (429 points), Sheldon Creed (419 points), Riley Herbst (316 points) and Daniel Hemric (399 points).
Just outside the cutline is Parker Kligerman with 371 points and Brandon Jones with 348 points, who has made six Xfinity Series Playoff appearances – second only to Justin Allgaier who was seven Playoff appearances.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year update – The NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year competitors now have 15 races under their belts as they gear up for their inaugural The Loop 121 at the Chicago Street Race.
Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith continues to lead the competition with one win (Richmond), four top fives, six top 10s and 465 points.
Not far behind is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sammy Smith, who has racked up one win (Phoenix), three top fives, six top 10s and 395 points.
Jordan Anderson Racing’s Parker Retzlaff has posted one top five and four top 10s this season, accumulating 293 points.
Closing out the competition is Blaine Perkins with 106 points.
