Following the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in a double-header, action-packed Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the NASCAR Xfinity Series sets its sights on the Credit One NASCAR AMEX Credit Card 300 on October 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET on the CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio – the second race in the Playoffs’ Round of 8.
The 1.5-mile South Florida track, Homestead-Miami Speedway, has hosted 30 NASCAR Xfinity Series races since the inaugural event in 1995, producing 23 different race winners and almost as many pole winners (21).
Only five of the 30 Xfinity races have been won from the pole or first starting position at Homestead-Miami, most recently by Harrison Burton in 2020.
A few drivers have etched their names in the Homestead-Miami Speedway record book:
- Most wins: Joe Nemechek (three)
- Most top fives: Kyle Busch and Mark Martin (seven)
- Most top 10s: Matt Kenseth (10)
- Laps led: Kyle Busch (487)
This will be the third time that Homestead-Miami Speedway plays host to the fifth race in the Xfinity Series Playoffs (second race in the Round of 8). From 2016 to 2019, the track was home to the Championship Race. Daniel Suárez (2016), William Byron (2017) and Tyler Reddick (2018, 2019), took the checkered flags in those seasons. In 2020 and 2021, the track was not a Playoff track but was on the regular season schedule.
Only two previous Homestead-Miami winners are entered in this weekend’s Credit One NASCAR AMEX Credit Card 300 – Cole Custer (2017) and Sam Mayer (2023).
Custer, who is in Playoff contention, snagged his win in 2017, beating runner-up Sam Hornish Jr. by 15.405 seconds and leading 182 of the 200 laps.
Mayer, who is also in Playoff contention, posted his win last season and locked himself into the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his career.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will kick off their weekend on Friday, October 25 with practice and qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET streamed on the NBC Sports App.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Track Type: 1.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
The Date: Saturday, October 26
The Time: 4 p.m. ET
The Purse: $1,496,850
TV: CW, 3:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)
Diving into the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff bubble
With a win by Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he has now clinched a spot into the Championship 4 Round and sits atop the Playoff standings outlook heading into Homestead-Miami.
The other three drivers currently above the Championship 4 Round cut line are JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier (+32), Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer (+16) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith (+8).
Just outside the final round’s cut line are Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill (-8), followed by his RCR teammate Jesse Love (-13), and JR Motorsports teammates Sam Mayer (-23) and Sammy Smith (-53).
| NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Playoff Projection Following Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 10/19/2024 | |||||||
| Rank | Driver | Vehicle | Points | Race Wins | Stage Wins | Playoff Pts | +/- Cutoff |
| 1 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | 3,063 | 1 | 2 | 7 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Justin Allgaier | 7 | 3,088 | 2 | 16 | 35 | 32 |
| 3 | Cole Custer | 00 | 3,072 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 16 |
| 4 | Chandler Smith | 81 | 3,064 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 8 |
| 5 | Austin Hill | 21 | 3,056 | 3 | 4 | 26 | -8 |
| 6 | Jesse Love | 2 | 3,051 | 1 | 4 | 13 | -13 |
| 7 | Sam Mayer | 1 | 3,041 | 3 | 2 | 17 | -23 |
| 8 | Sammy Smith | 8 | 3,011 | 1 | 0 | 6 | -53 |
Xfinity Clinch Scenarios: Homestead-Miami Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff drivers have two more opportunities (Homestead-Miami and Martinsville) to prove they have what it takes to compete for the title at Phoenix Raceway on November 10.
Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Round of 8 opener, Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger raced his way into Victory Lane and clinched his spot in the Championship 4 Round – the first driver to lock himself into the final round.
Let’s take a look at how the remaining seven drivers look as they head into Miami:
Already Clinched
The following driver has clinched a spot in the 4-driver field of the next round: AJ Allmendinger.
Can Clinch Via Points
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 3rd winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Justin Allgaier or Cole Custer.
- Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch with help
- Cole Custer: Could only clinch with help
If there is a new winner from Chandler Smith or another winless driver lower in the standings but still eligible to advance to the next round, the following drivers could clinch by being 56 points above the 2nd winless driver in the standings.
- Justin Allgaier: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Sammy Smith.
Scouting the Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 field at Miami
As the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff drivers get ready to head to South Florida to continue their postseason campaigns, let’s see how they have performed on the famous 1.5-mile track just outside of Miami.
A.J. Allmendinger
Allmendinger has made four starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting two top fives, two top 10s and has led 49 laps. Though he has already clinched his spot this season, Allmendinger has one previous appearance in the Championship 4 Round (2021) prior to this year.
Justin Allgaier
Allgaier has made 15 starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway (most among Playoff contenders) posting three top 10s and has led 15 laps. Allgaier leads the Xfinity Series in Championship 4 Round appearances with six (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023) – series-most.
Cole Custer
Custer has made five starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting one win (2017), three top fives, three top 10s and has led 406 laps. Custer, the reigning series champion, has three previous Championship 4 Round appearances (2018, 2019, 2023).
Chandler Smith
Smith has made two starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting one top-10 finish. Smith is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his Xfinity Series career.
Austin Hill
Hill has made two starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting one top five, two top 10s and has led 19 laps. Hill is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his Xfinity Series career.
Jesse Love:
Love will be making his Xfinity Series track debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Love is also hoping to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his Xfinity Series career. If Love were to earn a spot in the Championship 4 Round, he would become the sixth different rookie to make an appearance in the final round; joining Erik Jones (2016), William Byron (2017), Daniel Hemric (2017), Christopher Bell (2018) and Tyler Reddick (2018).
Sam Mayer
Mayer has made two starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting one win (2023), two top fives, two top 10s and has led 46 laps. Mayer is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the second-time in his Xfinity Series career (2023).
Sammy Smith
Smith has made one start at Homestead-Miami Speedway posting a ninth-place finish (2023). Smith is looking to make the Championship 4 Round for the first time in his Xfinity Series career.
NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Joe Gibbs Racing announces William Sawalich to run fulltime Xfinity Series season in 2025 – Two-time ARCA Menards Series East Champion William Sawalich will be joining Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Supra in 2025. Plus, Sawalich will make his debut in the series this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“I am honored to be driving the No. 18 fulltime in the Xfinity Series next year,” Sawalich said. “It has been really cool to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, and I feel like I have developed so much as a driver over the past two years. I still have a lot to learn, especially with moving to a new series, so I am looking forward to taking this next step in racing.”
Sawalich finished the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East season with his second consecutive series championship after posting three wins, seven top fives and four poles.
“We are thrilled to announce William’s promotion to the next stage of his racing career with us,” said Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development at JGR. “His outstanding record of victories and development over the past two years shows he’s ready for the Xfinity Series. We’re confident he’ll remain a strong contender for wins as he takes on this new challenge in 2025.”
DGM Racing announces Ryan Ellis to run full Xfinity Series season in 2025 – DGM Racing announced this week that Ryan Ellis will serve as their full-time driver for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Ellis will make his debut with the family-owned racing organization, based out of Lake Wales, Florida, in the season-opener race at DGM Racing’s home track Daytona International Speedway with sponsorship from Classic Collision.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to our family and looking forward to advancing our Xfinity program together. Solidifying next year’s season this early on is huge for our small team,” team owner Mario Gosselin. “Having the resources this soon gives us the opportunity to upgrade some of our equipment and start preparing in a way we have been unable to in prior seasons, which I believe will result in our best on track performance.”
Ellis, a native of Ashburn, Virginia, has always had a passion for motorsports. He began his racing career in karting at the young age of four, quickly transitioning to stock cars and showcasing his talent in various regional and national touring series as he collected many wins and championships along the way.
“Chatting with Mario about his plans for the program in 2025 convinced me that joining DGM was something I couldn’t pass up. He’s a racer, and his enthusiasm was immediately contagious,” Ellis states. “I have so much respect for what the Gosselin family has built, and I hope that we can turn some heads together next year. I’ve seen just how high the potential is at DGM, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”