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| Jerry Markland/Getty Images North America |
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| Jerry Markland/Getty Images North America |
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for an unscheduled Sunday Morning race after Hurricane Matthew caused rain to fall in Charlotte today. With that happening the sleepless nights continue at least for two more nights for some drivers either inside the chase or outside of the chase and with it being the first Elimination race ever for the Xfinity Series race not many know what to expect. I expect Drama on top of some surprise eliminations. It comes down to this and we do know at least four drivers championship hopes will have to wait another season.
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| Sarah Crabill/Getty Images North America |
Two drivers we didn't expect to be on the outside looking in coming to this are Erik Jones and Ty Dillon are both sitting outside but with both drivers basically knowing what will come in 2017, All they have to lose is a Championship. It was announced a few months ago that Erik Jones would drive a second entry for Furniture Row Racing and we don't know for how long. Ty Dillon will probably be going to Cup with Daniel Hemric speculated to replace him in the Xfinity Series. Numerous rumors have been circulating including Ryan Newman leaving RCR or Ty Dillon driving a fourth RCR Car, along with a few others. Also outside is Ryan Sieg and Brandon Jones but what all three of these have in common is the fact that they are not in must win situations, they just need someone further up on the grid to have a bad day and fall out early. Sieg is currently 11th -10 outside of the Top-8. Each of these drivers are not in must win situations with the 12th place driver, Brandon Jones, sitting just 18 points out of the Top-8. Like Erik Jones and Dillon, Brandon Jones knows where he will be in 2017 as he will return to Richard Childress Racing's Xfinity Series team.
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| Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America |
The only two drivers we know are safe going into Sunday's race are Elliott Sadler, who won at Kentucky, and Daniel Suarez, who won at Dover last weekend. Elliott Sadler has been the Championship victory leading the points through most of the season and then winning at Talladega, Darlington and Kentucky certainly being shown as one of the best drivers in the Xfinity Series this season. Daniel Suarez has been one of those dark horse guys who is always in the discussion every weekend stepping up to the big guys from the Sprint Cup Series. In just his second full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Suarez is doing very well and is on the right track to a bright future where ever he ends up, sadly it may not be with Joe Gibbs Racing with only one spot being open and it's going to Erik Jones. We have already seen one driver leave Joe Gibbs Racing's affiliates due to lack of space named William Byron who will be moving to a Hendrick Motorsports affiliation beginning next season in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports speculated to drive the #9 there also as he has for a majority of his career.
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| Sarah Crabill/Getty Images North America |
We can't forget the other six drivers in the chase and I expect at least one of these drivers will not move on to the next round. It's feast or famine now with this new Chase and there are no friends on the track anymore. Many of these drivers are looking for their best finish in the points of their careers while some are just looking to stay in that unexpected spotlight like Blake Koch, who is driving for first year team Kaulig Racing with Matt Kaulig overlooking the organization and Chris Rice as the Crew Chief. Koch is in the running to gain his best career finish in points and could even land his first career victory this season like his good friend Michael McDowell did at Road America. With this Chase now, Blake Koch has just as much of a shot at winning the Championship as some of the biggest teams in the Xfinity Series. We will have an article up about Kaulig Racing's Chase hopes up shortly after this one is posted.
With that being said we enter Sunday's race knowing we will eliminate four drivers and unlike the Cup Series elimination race, there aren't really any drivers fans have completely wrote off. (Koelle,2016)
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