Friday Xfinity race at Bristol: start time, weather and TV information
The NASCAR Xfinity Series teams start Playoffs Friday with night racing at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Twelve drivers qualify for the championship, and will attempt to secure a place in the quarter-finals by winning under the lights. Four of those drivers – Daniel Hemric, Justin Allgaier, Cole Custer and Josh Perry – have previously claimed a fourth championship.
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John Hunter Nemechek (+49) enters the playoffs as the top seed after winning six races. Regular season champion Austin Hill (+39) is the second seed. Sammy Smith (-2), Jeb Burton (-2), Hemric (-5) and Parker Kligerman (-6) are the four drivers below the cut line.
Friday’s entry list will also include two high-profile guest drivers. Trevor Bane will return To Joe Gibbs Racing in his second start of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his first Xfinity start at Bristol since 2017. In 2004, he became the first driver to sweep the Xfinity and Cup races at Bristol in the same weekend.
Chevrolet drivers have won five of the last seven races at Bristol. Toyota and Ford each won once in this time period. Although Toyota drivers won 13 of the last 23 races, including four consecutive races in 2012-2014.
Details of Friday’s Xfinity race at Bristol
(All Eastern times)
Begins: The order to start the engines will be given by Piper and Kevin Harvick at 7:39 p.m….and the green flag is scheduled to fly at 7:48 p.m.
Before the race: The Xfinity garage opens at 9:30 a.m….driver introductions begin at 7 p.m….an invocation will be held by Mike Rife of Vansant Church of Christ at 7:31 p.m….and the National Anthem will be performed by Food City Marketing Department representative Christina Cooper at 7:32 p.m
distance: The race is 300 laps (159.9 miles) long on the 0.533-mile short track.
Phase: The first stage ends at lap 85. The second stage ends at lap 170.
Starting lineup: The Xfinity Playoffs will be set for Friday at 3:10pm on USA and the NBC Sports app.
TV/Radio: USA Network will broadcast the race at 7:30 p.m…. Broadcast coverage is on the NBC Sports app. … Countdown to Green coverage begins at 7 p.m. USA … Performance Racing Network coverage begins at 7 p.m. … SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast.
Climate prediction: Underground weather: A high of 70 degrees and a 1% chance of rain at the start of an Xfinity Series race.
The last time: Ty Gibbs started from pole and won the first stage. He led 89 laps but finished 36th after a crash from Noah Gragson that turned him into Sheldon Creed. Justin Allgaier led 148 laps and won the second stage before finishing ninth after late contact with JJ Yeley. Gragson led 25 laps and won his third straight race after a late battle with runner-up Brandon Jones.
