Up Next For NASCAR Xfinity Series: The Magic Mile at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

After returning to Iowa Speedway for the first time in five years, the NASCAR Xfinity Series shifts gears to New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s “Magic Mile” for the SciAps 200 on Saturday, June 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, the NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This will be the 37th NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire track. There have been 28 different race winners and 21 different pole winners in the previous 36 races. Nine drivers have won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Kyle Busch in 2017.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, holds several records in the Xfinity Series at New Hampshire – most wins (six), laps led (740), and is tied with former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick for most top fives (nine).

The weekend’s festivities commence on Friday, June 21 at 4:05 p.m. ET with practice followed by qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET on USA Network and streaming on the NBC Sports App.

Qualifying will be key this weekend given that in the last 11 races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, all but one driver has gone on to win the race from a starting position of third or higher.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: SciAps 200

The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, June 22

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,270,055

TV: USA Network, 3:30 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 211.6 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

Feelin’ the magic of Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

There are only two drivers entered in this weekend’s SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway who have conquered the Magic Mile previously – Justin Allgaier and Christopher Bell.

Allgaier heads into the weekend with 12 starts at New Hampshire under his belt. In those 12 starts, he’s posted one win (2022), three top fives and nine top 10s.

The Cup Series regular, Bell, will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for his first Xfinity Series start since the 2022 season. The 29-year-old has a perfect record at New Hampshire, having posted a win in all three of his Xfinity Series starts (2018, 2019, 2021). He also has led a combined 430 of 600 laps across the three races.

With his feat of three wins in three starts at New Hampshire, he joins a short list of drivers in the Xfinity Series who have perfect records at a track with more than one start – AJ Allmendinger (Charlotte Road Course – four wins in four starts) and Chandler Smith (Richmond – two wins in two starts).

Xfinity Drivers To Watch: New Hampshire edition

While former New Hampshire winners, Justin Allgaier and Christopher Bell, will be competing for their chance to land themselves in Victory Lane once again this weekend, other drivers will be pushing to post their first win at the Magic Mile this Saturday as well.

Seeking retribution for last year’s runner-up finish, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith will look to snag the trophy this time around. Joe Gibbs Racing has dominated in the Xfinity Series at New Hampshire, winning seven of the last eight races. Smith has already shown his prowess at one-mile ovals earlier this season, winning at Phoenix and posting a seventh-place finish at Dover.

While leading the NASCAR Xfinity Series point standings and having six top fives and 12 top 10s through the first 15 races, Stewart Haas Racing’s Cole Custer has yet to secure a victory this season. However, he returns to the track where he made history in 2014 by becoming the youngest winner in NASCAR national series history at 16 years, 7 months, 28 days in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

In total, Custer has made four starts at New Hampshire in the Xfinity Series posting one top five and three top 10s.

Xfinity Series Playoff picture following Iowa

With JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer’s second win of the season at Iowa Speedway last weekend, only five spots are still available to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs with 11 races left in the regular season.

Mayer, along with Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, and Shane van Gisbergen have all earned Playoff spots by virtue of their wins this season. Current Xfinity driver standings leader, Cole Custer, is also guaranteed a spot as the points leader.

That leaves just five spots left. Currently holding those spots on points are Sheldon Creed (+92 from Cutoff), Riley Herbst (+91), AJ Allmendinger (+60), Parker Kligerman (+55) and Sammy Smith (+31).

Here’s how the playoff standings look heading into New Hampshire.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

Justin Bonsignore to make Xfinity Series debut – Justin Bonsignore will be making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the SciAps 200 on Saturday, June 22.

The three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion will be pulling double duty, looking to defend his crown in Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 following his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“I’m looking to have a smooth day and take it all in,” Bonsignore said. “If we can contend in the top five or top 10, that would be a win, but I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t think we couldn’t contend for the win. We’re in a Gibbs car, so you have to go there with that mindset, but we need to execute and try to learn each and every lap.”

Justin Allgaier to move solely into sixth on all-time Xfinity Series starts list – JR Motorsports’ veteran Justin Allgaier is currently tied with Joe Nemechek for sixth on the NASCAR Xfinity Series all-time starts lists with 453 starts each. With his start this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Allgaier will pass Nemechek and move solely into the sixth position on the all-time starts list.

Jeremy Clements currently holds the fifth position on the Xfinity Series starts list with 479 starts.

Ryan Sieg to make 350th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at New Hampshire – Geogia native and veteran NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Sieg, of RSS Racing, will be making his 350th NASCAR Xfinity Series career start this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

With the start this weekend, Sieg will tie Randy Lajoie and Kevin LePage for 16th on the all-time starts list in the Xfinity Series.

Sam Mayer to make 100th career start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – JR Motorsport’s Sam Mayer, who won last weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway, will be making his 100th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start this weekend at New Hampshire. Mayer will look to become the seventh different driver to win on their 100th start in the series.