The 2017 Xfinity Series schedule

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There will be plenty of fresh faces and a change in competition for the Xfinity Series this year.

Daniel Suarez returns to defend his 2016 championship and will find new challenges from drivers such as Daniel Hemric, Spencer Gallagher, Michael Annett, and Cole Custer among others. Favorites such as Justin Allgaier, Elliott Sadler, and Brennan Poole will also be back.

But the biggest difference in 2017 will be that the Xfinity Series will only see the infusion of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers (who have more than five years of full-time experience) in 10 of the season’s 33 races. Those drivers will also not be eligible to compete in the season’s final eight races, which make up the Chase.

It all begins at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25.

Here is the complete 2017 Xfinity Series schedule:

2/25 Daytona International Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/4 Atlanta Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/11 Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/18 Phoenix International Raceway – 4 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/25 Auto Club Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
4/8 Texas Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. (FOX)
4/22 Bristol Motor Speedway – 12:30 p.m. (FS1)
4/29 Richmond International Raceway – 12:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/6 Talladega Superspeedway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/27 Charlotte Motor Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/3 Dover International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/10 Pocono Raceway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
6/17 Michigan International Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/24 Iowa Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/30 Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/7 Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/15 New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/22 Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/29 Iowa Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
8/5 Watkins Glen International – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/12 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/18 Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/27 Road America – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
9/2 Darlington Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/8 Richmond International Raceway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/16 Chicagoland Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/23 Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/30 Dover International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/6 Charlotte Motor Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/21 Kansas Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/4 Texas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
11/11 Phoenix International Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/18 Homestead-Miami Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

Sunday Cup race at Circuit of the Americas: Start time, TV info, weather

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Is this Toyota’s weekend?

Chevrolet won the first four races of the season. Ford won last weekend with Joey Logano at Atlanta. Is it Toyota’s turn to win its first Cup race of the season? Or does Chevrolet return to dominance?

Chevrolet drivers have won 11 of the past 12 Cup races on road courses. The exception was Christopher Bell‘s win for Toyota at the Charlotte Roval in last year’s playoffs. Chevrolets have won the two previous Cup races at COTA: Chase Elliott in 2021 and Ross Chastain in 2022.

Details for Sunday’s Cup race at Circuit of the Americas

(All times Eastern)

START: Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard in “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+, will give the command to start engines at 3:38 p.m. … The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:49 p.m.

PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 12:30 p.m. … Drivers meeting at 2:45 p.m. … Driver introductions at 3:05 p.m. … Invocation will be given by Sage Steele, ESPN broadcaster, at 3:30 p.m. … Jaime Camil, actor from “Schmigadoon” on Apple TV+, will perform the national anthem at 3:31 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 68 laps (231.88 miles) on the 3.41-mile, 20-turn road course.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 15. Stage 2 ends at Lap 30.

TV/RADIO: Fox will broadcast the race at 3:30 p.m. Pre-race coverage begins at 2 p.m. on FS1 and moves to Fox at 3 p.m. … Performance Racing Network’s radio coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. and will also stream at goprn.com; SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast.

STREAMING: Fox Sports

FORECAST: Weather Underground – Mostly clouldy with a high of 74 degrees and a 9% chance of rain at the start of the race.

STARTING LINEUP: Qualifying is at 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday

LAST YEAR: Ross Chastain scored his first career Cup win in a physical battle with AJ Allmendinger on the final lap. Alex Bowman finished second. Christopher Bell placed third.

CATCH UP ON NBC SPORTS COVERAGE:

Friday 5: What to do about lack of respect on the track?

Dr. Diandra: With Chase Elliott out, these are the best Next Gen road racers

Drivers to watch at COTA

North Wilkesboro’s racing surface will prove challenging to drivers 

NASCAR Power Rankings: Christopher Bell is new No. 1

NASCAR Saturday schedule at Circuit of the Americas

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Saturday will be a busy day at Circuit of the Americas, as all three national series are on the track.

Cup will qualify ahead of the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series races.

The forecast Saturday calls for sunny conditions and no chance of rain all day. The high is expected to be 69 degrees during Cup qualifying, 76 degrees at the start of the Truck race and 81 degrees for the start of the Xfinity race.

Zane Smith looks to win his second consecutive Truck race at the road course in Austin, Texas. AJ Allmendinger seeks his second consecutive Xfinity win at COTA.

Saturday, March 25

(All times Eastern)

Garage open

  • 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Cup Series
  • 10:30 a.m.  — Truck Series
  • 2 p.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Cup qualifying (FS1)
  • 1:30 p.m. — Truck race (42 laps, 143 miles; FS1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
  • 5 p.m. — Xfinity race (46 laps, 156 miles; FS1, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

COTA Xfinity starting lineup: AJ Allmendinger takes pole

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AJ Allmendinger, who won this race a year ago, will start on the pole for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Circuit of the Americas.

Allmendinger earned the pole with a lap of 92.173 mph Friday on the 20-turn, 3.41-mile road course.

MORE: COTA Xfinity starting lineup

He will be joined on the front row Sammy Smith (91.827 mph).
Ty Gibbs (91.665) will start third. Sheldon Creed (91.652) qualified fourth. Parker Kligerman (91.195) will start fifth.

Cup driver William Byron will start ninth. Byron’s time was disallowed for cutting the esses. Cole Custer, who will start 10th, didn’t make a lap in the final round of qualifying.

Cup driver Aric Almirola (91.269) qualified 13th. Truck Series racer Carson Hocevar (90.669) will start 17th. Alex Labbe (90.476) will start 23rd. He’s filling in for Josh Williams, who is serving a one-race suspension for parking his car at the start/finish line of last weekend’s race at Atlanta.

COTA Truck starting lineup: Ross Chastain wins pole

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Ross Chastain will start on the pole for Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

Chastain earned the top starting spot in Friday’s qualifying with a lap of 91.877 mph. He’ll be joined on the front row by Kyle Busch (91.490 mph).

More: COTA Truck starting lineup

Ty Majeski qualified third with a lap of 91.225 mph. Rookie Nick Sanchez (90.993) will start fourth, and Christian Eckes (90.937) will complete the top five.

Alex Bowman failed to make the race. Bowman had a flat right front on his qualifying lap.