With the season opener now in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers are setting their eyes on Atlanta Motor Speedway for the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – the second race of a doubleheader Saturday with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: RAPTOR King of Tough 250
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, February 24
The Time: 5 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,328,978
TV: FS1, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 251.02 miles (163 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 163)
In total, there have been 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, producing 22 different race winners and 19 different pole winners. Seven races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Kyle Busch in 2021.
Kevin Havick holds almost every record in the series at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Most wins: 5
Most top fives: 11
Most top 10s: 13
Laps led: 973
Race record: 149.813 mph (2/28/2015)
Greg Biffle holds the qualifying record with his speed of 192.300 MPH on Oct. 25, 2003 and Kyle Busch holds the record for most poles at the track with six.
Drivers will skip practice and will head straight to qualifying on Friday, Feb. 23 at 4:35 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
RCR’s Austin Hill looking to become fourth driver all-time to win first two races of a season
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill added his name to a very exclusive list of drivers who have won three or more consecutive Daytona season openers after taking the checkered flag last weekend in the United Rentals 300 last weekend – joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993), Tony Stewart (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002, 2003, 2004).
Now, the Winston, Georgia native will head to his home track of Atlanta Motor Speedway to see if he can post yet another victory. If Hill wins this weekend, he will become just the fourth different driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series history to win the first two races of a season; joining Dale Earnhardt (1986), Chad Little (1995) and Tony Stewart (2008).
Hill has made four starts at Atlanta, posting two wins (2022, 2023), three top fives and three top 10s.
Who will be named the “King of Tough”?
There are only four former NASCAR Xfinity Series winners entered in this weekend’s RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (Saturday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), led by Austin Hill with two wins (2022 and 2023) and followed by Justin Allgaier, AJ Allmendinger and John Hunter Nemechek each with one win.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill has made four starts at Atlanta in the Xfinity Series, posting wins in 2022 and 2023. In his other two starts, he posted a runner-up finish and a 12th-place finish.
JR Motorsport’s veteran Justin Allgaier has made 16 starts at the 1.54-mile track, posting one win (2021), three top fives and nine top 10s. He will be looking to rebound this season, as he finished outside the top-15 in both of his Atlanta starts in 2023.
Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger has made five Xfinity Series starts at Atlanta, putting up one win (2020), three top fives and four top 10s.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s John Hunter Nemechek is back in the No. 20 this weekend. Nemechek has made four starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series posting one win (2023), two top fives and three top 10s.
Although only four drivers entered this weekend have conquered the Atlanta Motor Speedway, others have performed well and could very well land themselves in Victory Lane this weekend, like Sam Mayer, Cole Custer and Riley Herbst.
JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer has made five starts at the track, posting one top five and three top 10s.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer also has made five starts at the track and has put up two top fives and three top 10s.
Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Riley Herbst is another driver in the field who has done well, posting two top fives and four top 10s in his seven starts.
Rookie Rewind: Gisbergen wins first Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award
The 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year drivers officially kicked off their first full time season last weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Let’s take a look at how they did and how they square up heading into Atlanta:
Jesse Love: He had a great start to the season, winning the pole at his debut at Daytona International Speedway and ultimately finishing 20th. He will be posting his first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Dawson Cram: He fell victim to an incident on lap 51 and ultimately finished the race in Daytona P31. He will be making his series debut at Atlanta. He’s made one start on the 1.54-mile track in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series where he finished 31st.
Shane van Gisbergen: His Xfinity Series career had a great start, qualifying fifth and finishing the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway 12th. He will be making his debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.
Hailie Deegan: She fell victim to an incident early in the race and ultimately finished 37th. She will be making her first Xfinity Series start at Atlanta but it’s not her first time at the track. She’s made three starts in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with a best finish of 12th in 2023.
Leland Honeyman Jr.: He finished 30th after getting wrapped up in an incident on lap 102. He’ll be making his debut in Atlanta this weekend.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Josh Williams to make Cup Series start in Atlanta – Josh Williams, who joined Kaulig Racing to pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series this season, will be running double duty this weekend. He will get behind the wheel of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This will be his first start in the Cup Series since the 2022 season and his first Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Carson Kvapil to make NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville – JR Motorsports has announced that two-time and defending zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car champion Carson Kvapil will make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville Speedway on April 6. Kvapil will pilot the team’s No. 88 Chevrolet.
As a product of JRM’s vaunted Late Model organization, Kvapil becomes the fifth driver from the program to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut for the organization, joining Richard Boswell, Josh Berry, William Byron and Sam Mayer.
“Our Late Model program at JR Motorsports has been a huge part of the success we’ve had as a company,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “We’re excited to be able to give Carson the opportunity to take the next step in his career. Helping young drivers with opportunities to climb the ladder is part of the foundation of JRM. Carson is part of a long list of drivers who deserve the chance to take that step forward in the sport.”