PREVIEW: Three drivers set to make their NASCAR XFINITY Series debut in Richmond
by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO: SS-Green Light Racing, (@SSGLR0708)
Saturday, March 30, 2024 (1:30 P.M. ET, FS1)
XFINITY Race 6 of 33
Toyota Care 250 at Richmond
2023 Last-Place Finisher: Anthony Alfredo
ENTRY LIST
Following the withdrawal of MBM’s #66 entry, there are 38 drivers entered for 38 spots, meaning all will qualify.
DRIVER CHANGE: #4-JD Motorsports
Dawson Cram returns to the XFINITY Series for the first time since his season-best 28th at Phoenix, taking the place of road racer Patrick Gallagher, 25th last Saturday in COTA.
DRIVER CHANGE: #6-JD Motorsports
Alongside Cram in the second Johnny Davis entry is Morgen Baird, who has made eight of his 13 ARCA Menards Series starts at his home track in Michigan with a best finish of 6th last year. Baird – whose ride was originally listed as “TBA” – takes the place of Ty Dillon, who after suspension issues left him 37th in COTA returns to Cup with Kaulig Racing (see below). Baird brings his sponsors from ARCA, led by Finland beer brand Long Drink along with associate backers Great Lakes Metal Finishing, LLC, Classic Turning, Inc., Vanston / O’Brien, Inc., and Jasper Electric. UPDATE: Due to an urgent family matter, Baird will NOT race this week. Garrett Smithley will drive in his place.
DRIVER CHANGE: #14-SS-Green Light Racing
Last week, Logan Bearden did not make his fourth-straight attempt at the Truck Series race at COTA, where he finished 28th in his series debut in 2022 and 22nd last year. He’s only made one series start since, finishing a series-best 21st at IRP. This time around, Bearden makes his XFINITY Series debut on another short track in Richmond, taking the place of 28th-place COTA finisher R.C. Enerson. Logan’s family business Bearden Automotive returns as sponsor.
MISSING: #17-Hendrick Motorsports
Last Saturday’s COTA winner Kyle Larson is not entered along with the Hendrick #17.
DRIVER CHANGE: #19-Joe Gibbs Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #26-Sam Hunt Racing
This Saturday’s race sees both the winner and runner-up of last week’s Truck Series race at COTA competing in XFINITY. Race winner Corey Heim is back with Sam Hunt Racing in the #26 for the first time since Phoenix, where he qualified a strong 3rd and finished in 22nd. Heim replaces Sage Karam, who finished 17th last week. COTA runner-up Taylor Gray makes his XFINITY Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing, taking the place of 24th-place COTA finisher Ty Gibbs, and carries sponsorship from Place of Hope.
DRIVER CHANGE: #20-Joe Gibbs Racing
Aric Almirola slides over to JGR’s #20 entry this week, returning for the first time since his 31st-place showing at Phoenix. He takes the place of John Hunter Nemechek, who finished 3rd last week. Nemechek focuses on his full-time Cup ride this week with Legacy Motor Club.
MISSING: #24-Sam Hunt Racing
Sam Hunt has not entered his second car, which Ed Jones drove to a 35th-place finish after a crash in COTA.
DRIVER CHANGE: #28-RSS Racing
After Kaz Grala failed to qualify last week in COTA, Kyle Sieg returns to pilot the #28, returning to the seires for the first time since his 25th-place run in Phoenix.
DRIVER CHANGE: #32-Jordan Anderson Racing
After Austin Green’s impressive series debut saw him come home 7th in COTA, the Jordan Anderson team had no driver listed for the #32 until late in the week, when Phoenix starter Ryan Vargas was again the listed driver. In his most recent start, Vargas finished next-to-last after suspension issues. He’s finished 35th and 36th in his only two previous XFINITY starts at Richmond.
DRIVER CHANGE: #35-Joey Gase Motorsports
Joey Gase climbs back aboard his #35 entry for the first time since Las Vegas, where he finished 30th. He takes the place of Alex Labbe, who came home a quiet 26th in COTA. This will be Gase’s 19th XFINITY start at Richmond alone, where he’s finished a best of 20th three times – in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
RETURNING: #38-RSS Racing
After the RSS team didn’t enter the #38 team in COTA, the Viking Motorsports entry returns with Matt DiBenedetto, who to this point has yet to start a NASCAR national series race in 2024. This will be DiBenedetto’s 70th series start and his first since August 24, 2019 at Road America, when he finished 27th after starting outside-pole for Joe Gibbs Racing.
MISSING: #45-Alpha Prime Racing
Not among this week’s entries is Alpha Prime’s third car with which Brad Perez came home a career-best 18th, besting his previous mark of 19th last summer at Road America.
MISSING: #50-Pardus Racing, Inc.
Preston Pardus is also not among this week’s entrants after an axle issue in qualifying stopped a #50 Chevrolet that was 10th-fastest in practice, leaving him with a DNQ.
WITHDREW: #66-Motorsports Business Management
MBM was slated to enter the #66 in XFINITY this week, but withdrew soon after with no driver listed.
RETURNING: #88-JR Motorsports
Following the success of team graduates Martin Truex, Jr., Brad Keselowski, and Josh Berry, JRM brings aboard one of the nation’s most successful late model racers in Andrew “Bubba” Pollard, giving him his first opportunity to compete in any of NASCAR’s top three series. Pollard drives for the returning #88 entry, which we last saw finish 5th in Dale Jr.’s hands last fall in Homestead.
DRIVER CHANGE: #07-SS-Green Light Racing
Phoenix last-place finisher Patrick Emerling rejoins the circuit in place of 21st-place COTA finisher Daniil Kvyat. Southern Tier Security joins as sponsor. Emerling has just two previous XFINITY starts at Richmond with a best of 29th last spring.
CUP INVADERS: None
Sunday, March 31, 2024 (7:00 P.M. ET, FOX)
CUP Race 7 of 36
Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond
2023 Last-Place Finisher: Noah Gragson
ENTRY LIST
There are 36 drivers entered for 40 spots, marking the sixth-straight short field in 2024.
MISSING: #13-Kaulig Racing
DRIVER CHANGE: #16-Kaulig Racing
Both A.J. Allmendinger (#13) and Shane van Gisbergen (#16) are not entered in this week’s Cup race, but both will focus on Saturday’s XFINITY event. With the part-time #13 entry not running on Sunday, the #16 goes to Ty Dillon, who kicks off a five-race deal that will include the upcoming rounds at Texas, New Hampshire, Richmond (in August), and Kansas.
MISSING: #50-23XI Racing
Kamui Kobayashi is not entered after a 29th-place finish in COTA, were he finished one spot behind his new on-track rival Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
MISSING: #66-Motorsports Business Management
As for MBM, Timmy Hill is not entered on Sunday, and the XFINITY team withdrew earlier in the week. The Cup team will return in May for both North Wilkesboro with Timmy Hill and David Starr in the Coca-Cola 600.
Friday, April 5, 2024
TRUCKS Race 6 of 23
Long John Silver’s 200 at Martinsville
2023 Last-Place Finisher: Stephen Mallozzi
The Truck Series takes the week off and returns next Saturday for more short track action in Martinsville.
TODAY IN LASTCAR HISTORY (March 29, 1998): Kenny Irwin, Jr. picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Winston Cup Series career in the Food City 500 at Bristol when his #28 Texaco / Havoline Ford crashed after 88 laps. This was the second of three consecutive races where Irwin finished 39th or worse.
