NASCAR Xfinity Series Bristol Motor Speedway Preview

We are in the second to last round of the Dash 4 Cash. This in-race promotion will award an extra $100,000 to the highest finishing qualifier from Martinsville. The qualifiers are Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, Justin Allgaier, and Brennan Poole. Whoever finishes highest will get a check, and the top four finishers from the race will qualify for Rockingham.

Race Preview:

The ninth race of the 2025 Xfinity Series, the SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway, is a 300-lap, 160-mile race around the 0.5-mile Bristol Motor Speedway. The stage cautions will come at laps 85 and 170, and the checkered flag will fly at lap 300. Teams will have 5 sets of Goodyear tires for this race.

The Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Known by many nicknames, “The Last Great Coliseum,” “Worlds Fastest Half-Mile,” or “Thunder Valley,” there is nowhere like Bristol Motor Speedway. Built in 1961, the Bristol Motor Speedway is a 0.5-mile asphalt oval. Its 4 turns are progressively banked, with the bottom groove with 24 degrees of banking and increasing as you move towards the wall to max out at 28 degrees. The straight aways have between 4 and 8 degrees.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series first raced at Bristol in 1982, with Phil Parsons winning the first race. Like the Craftsman Truck Series, Kyle Busch holds the wins record with nine wins. Last year’s winner Cole Custer holds the track record, putting down a 15.65-second lap in 2019.

Xfinity Series Points Standings:

Here are the points standings following the previous race at Darlington Raceway:

1. Justin Allgaier: 346
2. Sam Mayer: 275
3. Austin Hill: 267
4. Sheldon Creed: 251
5. Jesse Love: 247
6. Connor Zilisch*: 224
7. Brandon Jones: 216
8. Carson Kvapil*: 213
9. Ryan Sieg: 210
10. Harrison Burton: 198

*Denotes Rookie

Drivers To Watch:

Some notable additions to the field for the SciAps 300 are as follows:

• Kyle Larson, #17 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
• Justin Bonsignore, #19 Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
• Corey Heim, #24 Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Kyle Larson is back in the field, attempting to sweep the weekend. We saw Larson win 2/3 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with an issue on the restart ending his dominant day. Larson is the favorite to win according to the sportsbooks, BetUS has him at -150 to win. But we have seen that the Xfinity Series is the toughest to win in from a racecraft perspective. The Xfinity field got a stern talking to at Darlington so maybe they are going to tone it down.

Sam Mayer is great at this racetrack. He scored his first Truck Series victory here and has finished inside the top-ten 3 of his 4 starts here, with only one DNF. Mayer has been the star of the Haas Factory team in 2025, a runner up finish at Daytona, and four other top-five finishes through the first eight races. Look for him to be battling for a win this Saturday.

For Toyota’s, it is a toss up. Joe Gibbs Racing had three of four in the top-five last year, but none of those drivers are in those cars this year. Brandon Jones is back at JGR after a two year break, and has some momentum coming from Darlington. Jones’ last trip to Bristol in a Supra saw him finish second, that was in 2022. If you are a firm believer in momentum, look for Jones to be upfront for team Toyota.

How to Watch The Xfinity Series at Bristol Motor Speedway:

Here is the schedule for the 2025 SciAps 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway:

• Saturday, April 12th
  • Practice and Qualifying
    • 11:00 AM, Eastern
    • Coverage is on the CW App and radio is provided by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90
  • The SciAps 300
    • 5:00 PM, Eastern
    • Coverage is on the CW and radio is provided by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90