![NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindrick.](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 800 533"></svg>)
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When the NASCAR Xfinity Series starts its season Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, young NASCAR star Austin Cindric will be hungry to defend his NASCAR championship.
He will have an appetizing start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the uniquely named Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300. The Xfinity Series is scheduled to take the green flag at 5 p.m. at Daytona International Speedway.
Also Read: Daytona 500 starting lineup
Who are the favorites in the NASCAR Xfinity Series?
Cindric, a development driver for Team Penske, will be looking to win a second straight championship in the NASCAR Xfinity Series before moving to the NASCAR Cup Series next season. Cindric won six races and had 19 top-fives and 26 top-10 finishes last year to claim the championship.
Veterans Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley each won three races and advanced to the championship race last year, finishing second and third, respectively. Also keep an eye on Noah Gragson, who finished fifth in the standings, and Harrison and Jeb Burton, cousins and the sons of former NASCAR Cup Series stars Jeff and Ward Burton.
Who are the NASCAR Xfinity Series favorites at Daytona?
The days of NASCAR Cup Series drivers stealing the show in the Xfinity Series at Daytona are over. Now it’s all about the NASCAR Xfinity Series stars. That means Cindric, Haley, Allgaier and the rest.
It also means JR Motorsports will be one of the teams to beat. JRM Teammates Noah Gragson and Michael Annett will be trying to give Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR Xfinity Series teams three straight wins at Daytona.
Joe Gibbs Racing will have four cars in the race and all four should be a factor. Regular JGR drivers Daniel Hemric, Brandon Jones and Harrison Burton will run the full schedule, while former Cup Series driver Ty Dillon is in the part-time No. 54 car at Daytona. Dillon, who just missed making the Daytona 500, was fastest in the first NASCAR Xfinity Series practice.
Also Read: Dark horses to win the Daytona 500
Two of the few Cup Series drivers in the race could also be a factor. Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who won the Daytona Xfinity race in 2018, is in the race, as is former Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, who is driving the full season for Kaulig Racing.
Also See: Daytona 500 weather forecast
NASCAR Xfinity Series Daytona Entry List
0 Jeffrey Earnhardt JD Motorsports Chevrolet
1 Michael Annett JR Motorsports Chevrolet
2 Myatt Snider Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
02 Brett Moffitt Our Motorsports Chevrolet
03 Tyler Reddick Our Motorsports Chevrolet
4 Landon Cassill JD Motorsports Chevrolet
5 Matt Mills B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Vargas JD Motorsports Chevrolet
7 Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports Chevrolet
07 Joe Graf Jr SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet
8 Josh Berry JR Motorsports Chevrolet
9 Noah Gragson JR Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Jeb Burton Kaulig Racing Bruce Chevrolet
11 Justin Haley Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
13 TBA Motorsports Business Management Ford
15 Colby Howard JD Motorsports Chevrolet
16 A J Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
17 Cody Ware SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet
18 Daniel Hemric Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Harrison Burton Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
22 Austin Cindric Team Penske Ford
23 Jason White RSS Racing Chevrolet
25 Chris Cockrum ACG Motorsports Chevrolet
26 Brandon Gdovic Sam Hunt Racing Toyota
31 Jordan Anderson Jordan Anderson Racing
36 Alex Labbe DGM Racing Chevrolet
39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Ford
44 Tommy Joe Martins Martins Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Kyle Weatherman Mike Harmon Racing
48 Danny Bohn Big Machine Racing Chevrolet
51 Jeremy Clements Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet
52 Gray Gaulding Means Motorsports Chevrolet
54 Ty Dillon Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
61 Robby Lyons II Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota
66 Timmy Hill Danielle Long Ford
68 Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet
74 Bayley Currey Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet
77 Ronnie Bassett Jr Bassett Racing
78 Jesse Little B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet
90 Caesar Bacarella DGM Racing Chevrolet
91 Mario Gosselin DGM Racing Chevrolet
92 Josh Williams DGM Racing Chevrolet
98 Riley Herbst Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
99 Stefan Parsons B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet
