The Xfinity Series Chase resumes at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Drive for the Cure 300. The race will begin on Friday, October 7th at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be shown on the NBC Sports Network. Charlotte Motor Speedway is the last chance for the Chase drivers who have not won to lock themselves into the next Round of Eight.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Daniel Suarez and JR Motorsport’s Elliott Sadler are the only two drivers in the Chase who have found their way to the next round after claiming victories in the opening two chase races. Both drivers will advance no matter where they place in Friday’s Drive for the Cure 300.
Daniel Suarez’s recent success could very well continue on Friday in the Drive for the Cure 300. In three starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Suarez has tallied one top five, two top 10’s and an average finish position of 7.3. Elliott Sadler has also finished in the top 10 at the 1.5 mile oval in three of his last four trips to this speedway.
JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier climbed up to the third in the Xfinity Series Chase standings with his third place run at Dover. As a result, Allgaier now has the biggest points gap (+17 ) ahead of Ty Dillon heading into the Drive for the Cure 300.
Currently, Dillon is in the ninth position, one spot out of the next field of eight. In his last nine starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Allgaier has posted seven top 10’s with an average finish of 9.6. The speedster finished in fifth at the event here earlier in the year.
Richard Childress Racing’s Brendan Gaughan fell one place in the Chase standings to fourth after his ninth place result at Dover last weekend. He is 14 points ahead of the cut-off line for the Xfinity Series Chase.
The seasoned veteran has been stellar at the 1.5 mile venues in 2016. Furthermore, Brendan Gaughan has a finishing average of 10.3. Gaughan has nine contests under his belt in Charlotte coming into the Drive for the Cure 300. He has an average finish of 15.1 and rounded out the top 10 in tenth here earlier this season.
Rousch Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed dropped to fifth in the Xfinity Series Chase standings after last weeks race. Nevertheless, he still is 11 points above the ninth place position in the standings. In the youngsters third year of racing in the series, Ryan Reed has shown a lot of improvement.
In 28 of the races in 2016, he has reeled in one top five, six top 10’s and an average finish of 14.6. It wont be easy for Reed in the Drive for the Cure 300 on Friday evening. Among the 12 Chase competitors, Reed has the second-worst average finish on 1.5-mile tracks this season with an 18.4.
Ryan Reed’s teammate Darrell Wallace Jr., also slipped one spot in points following his effort at Dover International Speedway. Wallace now is only 10 points ahead of ninth-place Ty Dillon.
The Roush racer has had a pretty good 2016 campaign. For the year, he has posted three top five’s, nine top 10’s and an average finish of 14.6. Unfortunately, Darrell Wallace Jr. has struggled on 1.5-mile speedways this season. The crafty driver averages an 18.0 finish. At Charlotte, he has three attempts to his credit, collecting one top five, two top and to other top 10’s.
Chip Gnassi Racing’s Blake Koch is just above the cut-off point in the seventh position. His 14th place finish at Dover didn’t help the wily competitor’s chance of advancing. There are only four points that separate him from being on the outside looking.
The mile and a half tracks have been Blake Koch’s Achilles Heel this year. So far this year, he has posted a 19.1 average finish at those venues. Koch has made six starts going into the Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte, posting an average finish of 26.7.
Blake Koch’s teammate Brennan Poole can not afford to make a mistake in this week’s Drive for the Cure 300. The driver sits only three points above Ty Dillon in the ninth position. Poole lost ground in the Chase following his 15th-place finish at Dover last weekend. In two trips to Charlotte, Poole has posted an average finish of 15.0, and also a ninth-place result this season.
The two top Xfinity Drivers that are on the outside looking in in the Xfinity Series Chase standings are Ty Dillon and Erik Jones. Therefore, both of these feisty racers will need to have their best performances of the season on Friday.
Ty Dillon has five races at Charlotte on his resume’. As a result, he has gathered in four top 10’s and average finish of 12.2. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Erik Jones has the fourth-best average finish (10.2) on 1.5-mile tracks. In three starts at Charlotte, the up and comer has one pole and one top five. Jones came in second in this race last year.
