NASCAR Race Mom: Richmond Raceway Kicks Off The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Richmond Raceway Kicks Off The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs

It’s that time of year – Playoffs baby!

Next Race: Go Bowling 250
The Place: Richmond Raceway
The Date: Friday, September 20
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 187.5 miles (250 Laps);

Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 75),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 150),
Final Stage (Ends on Lap 250)

2018 Race Winner: Christopher Bell

Tyler Reddick, driver of the #2 'TAME the BEAST' #NASCAR Xfinity Series Chevrolet

Tyler Reddick (#2 'TAME the BEAST' NASCAR Xfinity Series Chevrolet)

For the fourth consecutive year (2016-2019) the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs will be the stage for this season’s 12 best drivers to battle it out over the next seven races in an elimination-style format to decide the series champion. The Round of 12 will be contested at Richmond Raceway, the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and Dover International Speedway – with only eight drivers advancing to the next round.

Since the inaugural year of the postseason in 2016, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has seen three different champions hoist the trophy at season’s end –

Daniel Suarez (2016)
William Byron (2017)
Tyler Reddick (2018).

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick is the first returning champion to compete in the following season’s Playoffs under this format and could become the first driver to win back-to-back titles in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Playoff era (2016-2019) and the seventh all-time joining Sam Ard (1983-84), Larry Pearson (1986-87), Randy LaJoie (1996-1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998-99), Martin Truex Jr. (2004-05) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12).

.@NASCAR's @TylerReddick debuts @kseofficial-themed car: https://t.co/ow4z3qFzRR
— Loudwire (@Loudwire) September 18, 2019

In 2016 and 2017, Kentucky Speedway hosted the first race of the Xfinity Playoffs, but for the second straight year Richmond Raceway will kick off the postseason in this weekend’s Go Bowling 250 on Friday, September 20 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“The Playoffs are finally here, and we can’t wait to turn up the wick and go get them this weekend at Richmond,” said JR Motorsport’s driver Michael Annett.

Heading into the first round of the Playoffs, wins are still the No. 1 goal for each driver because victory guarantees the driver’s spot in the next round. Starting the Playoffs off with a win can be quite fortuitous - Elliott Sadler (Kentucky, 2016) and Christopher Bell (Richmond, 2018) - each went on to make the Championship 4 after winning the Playoff opener. Only once in the past three Playoffs has the first race of the postseason been won by a non-championship contender – Tyler Reddick’s win at Kentucky in 2017.

This season’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs are made up of 12 different drivers from eight different organizations. Eight of the 12-driver Playoff field this season are returning Xfinity Playoff contenders, while four drivers – all Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders – Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, Justin Haley and John H. Nemechek are making their first postseason appearances.

Three organizations have qualified multiple drivers for the 2019 Playoffs – JR Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing. Below is this season’s Playoff field broken down by organization:

2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver Playoff Field