Previewing the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 at Kentucky

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer

The Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway marks the 16th race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, only three of the NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars (Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed, and William Byron twice) have scored victories during the 2017 season. A return to 1.5-mile tracks means that the regular favorites will likely be up front. Sadler leads the Championship Point standings, despite not scoring a win, he leads with 59 points over his JR Motorsports teammate, Byron.

The last time the Xfinity Series visited Kentucky Speedway, Sadler took the victory in exciting fashion. Sadler took the lead on the final restart from Ryan Blaney on his way to victory, beating Daniel Suarez and Blaney to the line by 0.246 seconds. Sam Hornish, Jr. and Matt Tifft rounded out the top five that day.

Blaney, Brendan Gaughan, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Sadler are the only former winners in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Kentucky. Blaney, Busch, and Logano are the only former winners with multiple wins at Kentucky. Blaney and Busch have two each, and Logano has three.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Friday night’s field include Blaney, Busch, Erik Jones, Harvick, Logano, Paul Menard, and Ty Dillon.

Xfinity Series Championship

Allgaier, Reed, Sadler, Daniel Hemric, Blake Koch, Gaughan and Byron are the only NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars that have Playoff points. Byron leads the series with 11 Playoff Points. Allgaier has seven Playoff points, Reed has five, while Sadler has four Playoff points. Gaughan, Hemric, and Koch have a single Playoff point each.

At Kentucky, the first stage ends on lap 45, the second stage on lap 90, and the final stage on lap 200.

What to Watch For in the Alsco 300

There are several storylines going into this weekend’s race to watch for:

• Paul Menard returns to the No. 2 Richmond / Menards Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing.
• Ty Dillon returns to the No. 3 Rheem Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing.
• Kyle Busch returns in the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Rowdy Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Erik Jones returns to the No. 20 Reser’s American Classic Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Joey Logano returns to the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang for Team Penske.
• Jeb Burton returns to the No. 24 Estes Express Lines Toyota Camry for JGL Racing.
• Kevin Harvick returns in the No. 41 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang for Stewart Haas Racing
• Tyler Reddick returns to the No. 42 BBR / Jason Aldean Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing.
• Quin Houff returns in the No. 46 beatincancerwithduke.org Chevrolet Camaro for Precision Performance Motorsports.
• Ben Kennedy returns in the No. 96 Weber Chevrolet Camaro for GMS Racing.

Where and When to Watch (All Times Eastern)

Practice 1: Thursday, July 6, at 2:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Live Xtra

Practice 2: Thursday, July 6, at 4:00 p.m. on NBC Sports Live Xtra

Practice 3: Thursday, July 6, at 6:00 p.m. on NBCSN

Qualifying: Friday, July 7, at 4:30 p.m. on NBCSN

Race: Friday, July 7, at 8:00 p.m. on NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Xtra, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the Performance Racing Network.