The Xfinity Series ended their regular season at Chicagoland last week as Justin Allgaier took home the win, his second of the year. Now, the playoffs start at Kentucky Speedway with the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 and this will be the second race of the season held here as the first was back in July. Kyle Busch won that race, with Ryan Blaney in second, but neither of those drivers will be here on Saturday night as they’re Cup drivers, who can’t take part in the Xfinity playoffs.
Details
Event: VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300
Category: Xfinity Series
Date: Saturday, September 23rd, 8:00 PM ET
Location: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kentucky
Allgaier led just 15 laps, but he led the most important one to pick up the win. He was followed across the line by Kyle Larson, Elliott Sadler, Daniel Hemric and Austin Dillon. Pole-sitter Erik Jones led 94 laps, but he finished in 18th place; Daniel Suarez started in second place, but finished right behind Jones in 19th place.
Past Five Winners
2016: Elliott Sadler
2015: Ryan Blaney
2014: Brendan Gaughan
2013: Ryan Blaney
2012: Austin Dillon
The Field
Taking a look at the betting odds this week, Ryan Preece is listed as the favorite to win the event. What’s interesting to note is that this is just his third start of the season. He’s only made two starts on the Xfinity Series but he took second at New Hampshire and claimed the win at Iowa. William Byron is second in line but will get some love from bettors. He finished seventh at Kentucky, which is a bit of a disappointment, but he does typically do well on longer tracks. He’s a driver on the rise and leads the Xfinity Series with three wins on the year. After that, we’re also look at Sam Hornish Jr. and Kyle Benjamin as the only other drivers inside of 5/1. Elliott Sadler is at +750 and could be a popular pick. He got the win at this event last year and will be looking to defend his crown.
What To Know About The Track
Kentucky Speedway opened in June 2000 and it has banking of 17 degrees in Turns 1 and 2, and then 14 degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4. The tri-oval is banked between 8-10 degrees, and the straightaway is banked at four degrees. A starting spot up front is good to have at Kentucky as the last eight winners at this track overall have started in the top seven; seven of those winners have started in the top five.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Elliott Sadler over William Byron
Sadler is the underdog in this matchup at +115 to -150 for Byron, and Sadler has been extremely consistent this season, even though he has yet to win a race. Sadler has finished in the top six in four of his last six starts; Byron has finished in the top seven three times in those six starts, and he has also finished 22nd or worse three times. Byron is probably the most likely to win the race and he is having a phenomenal rookie year, but nerves could get the better of him. Sadler has a lot of experience and he is also the defending champion for this race, so he should get the nod in this matchup.
Top-Five Pick: Daniel Hemric
Hemric, another rookie (one of four rookies in the playoffs along with Byron, Cole Custer and Matt Tifft), has finished fourth in each of his last two starts, and he finished ninth at Kentucky earlier in the year. In his last 11 starts, Hemric has seven top-10s and he has turned three of those into top-fives, including a second-place run at Mid-Ohio. He hasn’t gotten the headlines that Byron, who has three wins while Hemric has yet to win once. But Hemric is a very smooth and consistent driver and he should be your pick to finish in the top five at the Kentucky race this week.
Odds To Win 2017 VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300
Ryan Preece +300
William Byron +400
Sam Hornish Jr +425
Kyle Benjamin +500
Elliott Sadler +750
Justin Allgaier +750
Cole Custer +1650
Matt Tifft +1650
Ben Kennedy +1650
Field (any other driver) +2500
Tyler Reddick +2750
Daniel Hemric +3300
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