Previewing the NASCAR Xfinity Series Overton’s 200 at NHMS

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer

17 races into 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. This weekend the NASCAR Xfinity Series travels to the Northeast for the Overton’s 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Sadler continues to lead the Championship Point standings, despite not scoring a win. He leads with 45 points over his JR Motorsports teammate, Byron.

The last time the Xfinity Series visited the 1-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch took the victory in dominating fashion. Busch started from the pole and led 190 of 200 laps on his way to victory. He beat Erik Jones to the line by 1.499 seconds. Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, and Austin Dillon rounded out the top five that day.

To find the last time that a driver who competed solely for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship won at New Hampshire, you have to go back to the 2005 season when Martin Truex, Jr. took the checkered flag.

Busch and Keselowski are the only former winners in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at NHMS. Busch has five wins, including three in a row, and Keselowski has two wins. These two drivers account for seven of the last eight victories at NHMS.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Saturday’s field include Busch, Keselowski, Kyle Larson, and Ty Dillon.

Xfinity Series Championship

Allgaier, Reed, Sadler, Daniel Hemric, Blake Koch, Brendan 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 NHMS, 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 Overton’s 200

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

• Garrett Smithley will have Adapt 2k as the primary sponsor of his No. 0 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports.
• Ben Kennedy returns to the No. 2 Richmond / Menards Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing.
• Ty Dillon returns to the No. 3 Rheem/WATTS Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing.
• Kyle Busch returns in the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Ryan Preece makes his first start of the season in the No. 20 Mohawk Northeast Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Brad Keselowski returns to the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang for Team Penske.
• Dylan Lupton returns to the No. 24 Nut Up Toyota Camry for JGL Racing.
• Kyle Larson returns to the No. 42 ENEOS Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing.
• Martin Roy returns in the No. 90 Cote / Gamache Truck Center Chevrolet Camaro for Mario Gosselin.

Where and When to Watch (All Times Eastern)

Practice 1: Friday, July 14, at 1:00 p.m. on NBCSN

Practice 2: Friday, July 14, at 3:00 p.m. on NBCSN

Qualifying: Saturday, July 15, at 11:00 a.m. on CNBC

Race: Saturday, July 15, at 4:14 p.m. on NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Xtra, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the Performance Racing Network.